The Sannin Chronicles
by Levi Ackerman
Summary: The life and times of Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru from Academy graduation to present. Everything you didn't know about the Sannin's convoluted friendship and history. Eventual JirTsu and OroTsu plus side-pairings  mainly MinaKushi after chapter 7
1. Graduation and Genin Squads

_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto_

_Author's Note – I've been wanting to write this for awhile. It's almost a 'Tsunade Gaiden'. It will cover Tsunade and the Sannin from graduation till the start of Naruto, giving a deeper insight into what happened in the middle. There may be some twists, there will certainly be romance, and you'll see a lot of younger character too along the way._

_I've tried to stay loyal to the timeline as best as I could, but I took some creative liberties here and there. The most significant one is just that Madara's leaving Konoha has been pushed ahead by about ten years, just to add some drama, since I really wanted to write it in (and technically it would have been over before Tsunade was born). Other than that, everything is about the same, except some character's ages may be five years give or take. It was difficult to make everything fit, and the timeline doesn't make sense in some instances on Narutopedia! _

_I hope that doesn't bother anyone, and I hope you all enjoy the story. I've had to make quite a few OC's too so I hope no-one gets confused! This should be between 15-20 chapters long._

_Please review! =)_

/\/\/\/\/\

"Tsunade-chan!"

The little six-year old groaned, burying her head into the pillow as she curled up into a tight ball.

"Tsunade-chan!" the voice called again, shaking her gently.

"Not now..." the girl mumbled, pulling her silk sheets around her.

"Tsunade-chan, get up! The graduation exam starts in an hour!"

With a yank, the sheets were off, and the little girl toppled off her bed.

"Ouch!" she yelped, rubbing her eyes and glaring up angrily.

Her mother smiled back, a lock of platinum blonde hair falling over her forehead.

"Good morning, princess," she cooed.

"Okaa-san, that hurt," Tsunade grumbled, standing up.

"But you're a ninja so pain like that is nothing for you," Tsukiko Senju told her daughter indulgently, "Though if you don't ready soon you won't even make Genin."

"Aw, come on," Tsunade rolled her eyes, trudging towards the bathroom, "Ojii-san could just tell them to delay the exam till I reached... "

"Tsunade!" her mother said reproachfully, "Don't even think of such a thing! Just because your grandfather is Hokage doesn't make it alright for you to delay an exam! Now get ready, your breakfast is getting cold!"

"Yeah, yeah," Tsunade grumbled, closing the bathroom door.

She got ready quickly enough, nerves singing with anticipation. She dismissed her maids as they came to help her.

"I'm about to become Genin," she informed them, "I don't need help getting dressed!"

"As you say, Tsunade-hime," the maid nodded, bowing slightly before leaving.

Tsunade stood on the richly carpeted floor of her room, checking her reflection in the mirror.

Light brown eyes gazed back, framed by locks of hair the same color as her mother's. It wasn't nearly as long or silky though, instead a scruffy mess she'd pulled up into a high-ponytail. She wore a short, purple and turquoise yukata tied around her black fishnet top and black skirt, fishnets around her calves and wrists and the standard shinobi sandals.

"I wish I looked older," the six-year old said aloud wistfully, before grabbing her weapon pouch and securing it onto her waist and thundering down the stairs.

"Okaa-san! I'm ready!" she called as she scampered into the dining room.

The Senju family stayed at one of the large houses adjoining the Hokage Tower. Their dining room was spacious, with an amazing view of Konoha from the full-length glass windows. Tsunade could see the Academy pretty clearly; the lawn outside was empty, which meant she wasn't that late.

Three people were already seated at the table; a man with bright red hair and eyes the same color as her own, a middle-aged woman with the same red hair tied in two buns and similar eyes, and a distinguished-looking man with dark eyes and long, straight black hair.

To most Konoha shinobi, these people were idols and figures of authority.

To Tsunade Senju they were just her beloved family.

"Good morning, Tsunade-chan," her grandfather greeted.

"Good morning ojii-san!" Tsunade chirped brightly, taking a seat beside her grandfather – The Shodaime Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

"Good morning obaa-san, tou-san," she greeted her father, Hideiki Senju, and her grandmother Mito Senju.

"Ready for the big exam, Tsunade-chan?" her father asked, light brown eyes twinkling.

"Hai!" Tsunade said confidently reaching for her food.

"I'm sure you will pass with distinction," Mito said, smiling kindly, "You've taken after your parents, after all!"

"Don't make her too confident though," Tsukiko said, entering the room with a steaming plate of food, before turning to Hashirama, "Tou-san, Uchiha-san has come."

Hashirama sighed heavily.

"Again?"

"Again," Tsukiko affirmed grimly, "He seems upset."

"It's eight in the morning... what does Mad-eyes want now?" Hideiki muttered.

"Hideiki," Hashirama said warningly, "Drop it."

Tsunade recognized the nickname 'Mad-eyes' for Madara Uchiha-san, the angry-looking man from the Uchiha clan who she often saw talking to her grandfather. She'd never spoken to him directly; he'd always seemed intimidating, and Tsunade didn't quite like his red eyes. Her grandfather, of course, was always civil to him, though her parents didn't seem to like him much, especially her father.

"He said something about the constitution policy regarding protection of bloodlines in the future generations," Tsukiko supplied helpfully.

"Genin teams," Hashirama nodded in understanding, exchanging a meaningful look with his wife.

Tsunade continued to munch her food, not quite understanding. Her family often discussed politics during meals (especially Uchiha-related politics; from what Tsunade gathered, they were a pretty pissed-off group of people) but most of it flew right over her head.

"So he's has issues about the graduating boy's Jounin sensei then?" Mito asked.

"Likely," Hashirama said, standing up. He patted Tsunade's head.

"Make the Senju proud, Tsunade-hime," he said, before sweeping out of the room, white Hokage robes trailing behind him.

"Damn Uchiha, threatening a coup at every little thing," Tsunade's father muttered again.

"Hideiki!" Mito said reprovingly to her son, gesturing at Tsunade-chan, who was still concentrating solely on her meal.

"No, but seriously," her father continued, "I know what it's about. It's about the fact that they want Hiruzen for the Uchiha kid, but it was decided that Hiruzen will go to Ts-"

"Hideiki, not now!" Tsukiko hissed, "The exam hasn't even started yet! The kids haven't even graduated!"

"Still there's no way _my _daughter is going on a team with an Uchiha brat," Hideiki spat nevertheless, "And I don't think Uchiha would want that either."

"Calm down," Mito placated him, "From what I've heard, Uchiha will go to Torifu-san. He also trained with Tobirama."

Tsunade perked up at the mention of her grand-uncle's name (he was out on a mission right now) and her mother made a silencing gesture, and the meal proceeded without further mention of the exams.

"There's enough issues with Kumo and Suna as is without the Uchiha causing problems!" Hideiki muttered, "The Raikage already threatened to-"

"Tobirama solved that already. They're no longer a threat!" Mito argued, though she sounded unsure.

"I'll never trust Kumo. Even the Iwa ambassador said they wanted peace and now they're demanding a bij-"

"That ambassador was an imposter-"

"Not just Iwa. Even the Kazekage said-"

Tsunade zoned out at this point, not understanding anything, as she shoveled down the last remaining morsels of food.

"Alright, I'll go now," Tsunade said, getting up, "Thanks for breakfast! Bye tou-san, okaa-san, obaa-san!"

"Good-bye, Tsunade-hime!" the voices chimed, breaking away from their intense discussion, "Good luck in your exam!"

Tsunade sped out of the door and down the street, nearly bumping into a rather large man with shaggy black hair who was standing outside.

"Owari, owari!" Tsunade apologized quickly, recognizing the man as Madara Uchiha, the apparent nemesis of her grandfather.

"Watch where you're going, brat," Madara growled, red eyes flashing, and Tsunade scurried away.

The man was really scary – no wonder her father and Tobirama-ojii-san called him 'Mad-eyes'!

/\/\/\/\/\

When Tsunade reached the academy, she found that most of the students were already waiting inside.

"Good morning, Tsunade-hime," her sensei greeted her fondly, "You're just in time."

"Good morning Itsuto-sensei," Tsunade greeted, before entering the classroom.

"Tsunade-chan! Come sit here!"

"Hello princess! Excited about the exam?"

"Hey, Tsunade-hime, have you practiced anything?"

Tsunade was assaulted by a bunch of excited voices calling her, and she walked towards a girl with long auburn hair pulled into a braid, who was calling her from the back of the room.

"Kasumi-chan," she greeted, smiling.

"Tsunade-chan!" Kasumi nearly pounced on her, green eyes frantic, "Is it true they're making us do a written test? I hate written tests!"

"I don't know," Tsunade shrugged, "Probably..."

"Oh nooo!" Kasumi wailed, "I _hate _written tests! I haven't even studied the jutsus and elemental properties properly!"

"I didn't study much either," Tsunade confessed.

"So how are you so calm?" Kasumi demanded, "I'm freaking out, and you're younger than me!"

It was true – Tsunade was the youngest in the class being allowed to take the graduating exam. Kasumi and most of the others were a year or two older than her. The only kids her age were that pesky Jiraiya and a quiet boy named Orochimaru.

"What's there to be worried about?" Tsunade asked nonchalantly.

"Of course _you'd _say that," Kasumi muttered, "It's not like they can fail _you, _Hokage's granddaughter and all. But I'm still scared!"

Tsunade smirked slightly. It was true she didn't understand most of the political gossip that went on at the breakfast table, but she wasn't stupid. She'd gathered that she'd probably pass the exam regardless; her sensei had been decided too, from what it sounded like.

Of course that also meant Akako Uchiha would pass. Tsunade looked across the room where Akako was sitting with a couple of his Uchiha cousins. All three boys shot withering glares at Tsunade.

Tsunade just rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at them and looking away.

The Uchiha had always been inexplicably rude to her. They were generally sullen and rude, but they were worse to her. Tsunade supposed it had something to do with the fact that their clan-head was always fighting with her grandfather, the Hokage.

Still, it didn't matter. She got _way _more preferential treatment than the stupid weird-eyed Uchiha.

"Alright, class," Itsuto called, "Settle down!"

The children immediately stopped their talking and settled down, wide-eyed and anxious.

"Oh no," Kasumi moaned from beside her, "I forgot what lightening is weak against! Is it wind, or is it fire?"

"Wind," Tsunade supplied immediately, "Wind is strong against lightening but weak against fire."

"Silence!" Itsuto called again, "As you all know, the Genin graduation exam is today. We will begin the written component of this exam soon, and it will last for an hour. Is everyone present in class?"

There were a few murmurings, until a blue-eyed girl with blond pigtails raised her hand.

"Yes, Izumi?"

"Jiraiya's late again," Izumi Yamanaka, ever the suck-up, complained, "And we can't start without him, can we?"

"No, we can't," Itsuto agreed, sighing, but at that moment, the door burst open and a short boy with fuzzy white hair tumbled in, panting.

"Sorry I'm late," Jiraiya panted, "But there was this old lady carrying all these big heavy scrolls and she looked like she needed help and-"

The class groaned.

"Enough," Itsuto cut him off, having heard numerous of Jiraiya's tardy excuses before, "Just take your seat. The exam is about to begin."

At least this wasn't as bad as the one where the boy claimed he'd been ambushed by giant frogs.

Jiraiya was the class clown, though most of the students found him annoying at times. Tsunade certainly did, for that matter.

"Hey, Jiraiya!" Tsunade called, his words sounding rather familiar, "Did the 'old woman' you helped have red hair?"

"Yeah!" Jiraiya brightened, looking relieved that one of his tales actually seemed to have evidence supporting it, "Yeah she did! Bright red and tied in two buns! Do you know her?"

"She's my grandmother you baka, and I know for sure she doesn't need help carrying her scrolls!" Tsunade retorted, and a couple of people snickered.

Jiraiya glared at her, pouting slightly.

"How do you know? It could've been another woman!" he barked.

"The Senju are the only redheads in Konoha, moron!" Tsunade yelled, "Even an idiot knows that!"

"Oh, doesn't that make you _special,_" one of the Uchiha scoffed acerbically.

"Shut it, Uchiha," Tsunade snapped at him, "I wasn't even talking to you."

"Red eyes are _much _cooler than red hair, I'd say," Akako shot back.

"That's the most _ridiculous _comeback I've ever heard!" Tsunade said, injecting as much condescension into her high-pitched six-year old voice as she could.

"Enough!" Itsuto intervened, "Akako, Tsunade, Jiraiya, sit down at once! We have to start the exam. You can sort out these issues in break."

Jiraiya just made a funny face, scrunching his nose before he plopped down on an empty bench. Akako just shot Tsunade one last dark look before seating himself. Tsunade just rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, Tsunade," Izumi Yamanaka cooed from her seat on Tsunade's right, "You're much better than that Uchiha!"

Tsunade just smirked to herself.

Like she needed anyone to tell her _that_.

/\/\/\/\/\

The written exam was easy enough, at least for Tsunade. She finished it fifteen minutes early, feeling immensely satisfied as she set her paper down.

Her eyes darted around the room, checking the progress of her classmates. Jiraiya was scribbling on the paper furiously, clutching at his white hair, his eyes crossed slightly. The pale, dark-haired boy Orochimaru, who was seated next to him, had already finished, and was gazing out of the window absently. Tsunade wasn't surprised – Orochimaru had always tied with Sakumo Hatake for the top spot, despite the fact that Sakumo was a year older than them. Speaking of which, Sakumo had already finished and was busy fiddling with his mask. Tsunade always wondered why he wore the mask, but she'd never gotten around to asking him. Shinji Nara looked like he was sleeping; Tsunade couldn't even see if he'd attempted the paper at all! Chokichi Akimichi was munching something and he jotted down a few things at intervals. Akako Uchiha, to her delight, still hadn't finished yet and looked rather annoyed, sharingan flashing.

_Cheater! _Tsunade shouted mentally.

The moron must have used his dojutsu to memorize the text-books and was now probably just replicating the information! According to her, that was cheating, even if using kekkai genkai was allowed in ninja examinations.

She'd expressed this theory to her family once. Hashirama-ojii-san had just smiled, but shaken his head and told her she shouldn't think like that. Tobirama-ojii-san however, had burst out laughing and ruffled her hair, saying something about how she was a true Senju at heart.

Tsunade's eyes then flicked to Kasumi, who was still writing, and then Dan Arakawa, the boy who sat on the bench in front of her. He was bent over his paper, and she could only see his dark blue shirt and the back of his periwinkle-blue hair (Tsunade always thought he had such pretty, straight hair!) but he seemed to have finished his work and was just checking through the answers. He'd always seemed pretty intelligent as well, though he never flaunted it like Sakumo did. He'd always been a polite, quiet boy, rather like Orochimaru, except the fact that he was far more social than Orochimaru. Orochimaru never really spoke to anyone. Tsunade hadn't spoken to him much before either, though she'd often spoken to Dan about jutsus and homework.

Tsunade sighed, pushing her chair back. Another ten minutes to go...

/\/\/\/\/\

The written examination was followed by the practical one. Tsunade began to feel slightly nervous then – not because she was scared of passing, but rather because she was itching to do her jutsus. She wondered which ones they would be asked to demonstrate.

The class was tense and weirdly quite as the students were called in one by one. Tsunade had to wait quite a bit, since her family name meant she was towards the end of the list.

Kasumi had already left a long time back, as had most of the students. The only ones left in the class were Jiraiya, Orochimaru, herself, Izumi Yamanaka and the Uchiha kids.

"So, who do you think is going to pass?" Izumi whispered, leaning towards her, "I bet you Orochimaru-kun will. He's a genius!"

"Mm," Tsunade made a non-committal noise.

"He's kinda cute too," Izumi continued, "If only he was a year older! Though he's not as quite as Akako-kun!"

Tsunade just rolled her eyes.

It was typical of girls in the academy to fangirl over boys. Izumi was seven, and Tsunade found it rather early. Still, ninja had always been mature for their ages.

Tsunade had never considered anyone cute. Orochimaru wasn't even old enough yet, and he looked more like a pretty girl than anything. And Uchiha were equivalent to scum in her eyes.

"I bet Akako-kun will pass too, of course," Izumi babbled on, "It's amazing he's matured his Sharingan so early on!"

Tsunade shot her a look.

"Though of course, that's not really so much of a big deal," Izumi hastily back-tracked, "I bet Sakumo-kun will pass too! He's so dreamy!"

"You can't even see his face," Tsunade found it hard to hide the disgust in her voice this time.

She always had hated fangirls. They gave a bad name to kunoichi.

"I bet it's really handsome under the mask," Izumi giggled.

Fortunately, Tsunade was spared from having to respond, as Itsuto stuck his head into the room.

"Senju, Tsunade," he called.

Tsunade stood up, clenching her fists.

She could do this.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Ah, it's the princess of Konoha!" a female Jounin greeted when Tsunade walked into the room, "How are you today, Tsunade-hime?"

Tsunade winced slightly at the sickly sweet tone.

"Fine, thank you," she responded politely, before turning to the third man who sat in the room, the third judge of the examination round.

"Ojii-san!" she squealed, "You didn't tell me you'd be here!"

Hashirama Senju just smiled, adjusting his Hokage hat.

"The Hokage always supervises the Genin graduation," he replied.

"Are you ready, Tsunade-hime?" Itsuto asked.

"Yes!" Tsunade said confidently, spreading her legs slightly.

"Alright," Itsuto said, "Could you please create three shadow clones?"

Tsunade did it, rather easily. She had always had very good chakra control, and she moulded her three clones perfectly, not wasting an ounce of chakra.

"Very good!" the Jounin lady clapped, "That was excellent, princess!"

"Um, thank you," Tsunade mumbled, blushing slightly.

She looked at her grandfather, whose face was blank.

Then Itsuto reached down into a large brown box, and pulled out a gleaming forehead protector attached to a piece of dark blue cloth.

He held his hand out, beaming.

"Congratulations, Tsunade-hime! You're officially a Genin now!"

Tsunade stared at him. It was all rather anti-climatic.

"Um – that's all?" she asked, cocking her head.

"Oh, how cute!" the Jounin lady gushed, "You want to show us more?"

Tsunade decided she didn't like the lady. Not one bit.

"I just thought – we'd be tested on more techniques."

"The shadow clone jutsu is a moderately difficult technique for your age," her grandfather said, "And mastery of that indicates that you have sufficient skills to graduate to Genin."

"But – what about my written exam?" Tsunade blinked, "Has it already been corrected?"

"We check each written exam before calling in the candidate," Itsuto explained, "Why do you think the process takes so long? We checked your exam, and I must say, you've done spectacularly. Ninety-eight percent!"

Tsunade frowned slightly.

"Which question did I get wrong?" she asked.

Hashirama chuckled at this, dark eyes twinkling.

"The one about Dojutsu abilities," Itsuto replied.

Hashirama narrowed his eyes, and Tsunade smirked in remembrance.

She'd deliberately messed up that one. There was no way _she _was going to extol about the optical abilities of the Sharingan. As far as she was concerned it was a stupid Dojutsu, and if she lost two marks on it, she didn't care. She'd answered the questions about the Byakugan well enough.

"Anyways, take your forehead protector and run along now," Itsuto said, "Congratulations on passing! You're the youngest Genin we've passed yet!"

"Thank you," Tsunade told the three adults, taking the protector and leaving the room.

Though she'd expected it, excitement bubbled within her. She'd passed! She was officially a Genin! And the youngest one ever, though she supposed that title would be short-lived. Orochimaru would pass too and they both of them would be youngest.

Still she had passed, and she would be assigned a ninja squad and Jounin sensei tomorrow, so she could finally go on missions!

/\/\/\/\/\

Kasumi was waiting for her outside near the swings, a forehead protector tied securely around her head, holding back the auburn bangs.

"You passed too, Tsunade-chan!" Kasumi cheered, "That's amazing!"

"So did you," Tsunade pointed out, "Congratulations on that, by the way."

"Yeah, but this is my second time," Kasumi admitted, "You're an entire year younger than me! Still, it's great. I thought I mucked up my written test, but turns out it wasn't so bad after all!"

"Who else passed so far?" Tsunade asked.

"Dan-kun did, of course," Kasumi said, "And I know Sakumo-kun did as well. I think Hikari-chan passed too, but I don't know about the rest."

"Hm," Tsunade said thoughtfully, wondering who she'd get as a teammate. It was likely to be two boys, since teams never placed two kunoichi together. She doubted they'd put her with Orochimaru since both of them were a year younger, and there was no way she'd settle for an Uchiha. She supposed Dan would be a good team mate – he was quite nice, and pretty skilled too.

She'd have to wait till tomorrow though, before she could find out.

"You know Sakumo-kun's parents have been sent out on a war mission," Kasumi said suddenly.

"War mission?" Tsunade asked, "We're not at war!"

"Well Sakumo-kun told me they've just been sent last night to Kumo. An S-rank mission too, and you know those only happen during war-time."

"That's not true," Tsunade scoffed, "It's probably just some super-important escort mission or something!"

If there were war-talks she would have heard of them at home.

Though speaking of which, Tobirama-ojii-san had gone on a month-long mission too. And he was supposed to be back last week! And Hashirama-ojii-san had seemed rather tense and busy, though she'd assumed that Mad-eyes had just been acting up again.

And that conversation her parents and Mito-obaa-san had been having during breakfast... she hadn't understood it, but thinking back, it had seemed quite serious.

"I have to go home!" Tsunade told Kasumi, suddenly feeling uneasy, "I'll see you later, okay!"

She sped off as fast as her little feet could carry her.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Tou-san! Okaa-san!" Tsunade cried, bursting in, "Is there a war going on?"

"Tsunade-chan!" her grandmother Mito greeted her, "How was the exam?"

"I passed," Tsunade replied quickly, "Where are Tou-san and Okaa-san?"

"On a mission," Mito replied, "They left an hour after you left for the Academy. But they told me to congratulate you on their behalf if you-"

"A mission?" Tsunade exclaimed, "Why? Where?"

"Kumogakure," Mito said calmly, "Why are you getting so tense? It's normal for shinobi to go on missions, it's their job-"

"Why Kumo?" Tsunade wailed.

That's where Sakumo's parents had been deployed.

"Why not Kumo?" Mito shot back, "Your Tobirama-ojii-san is there right now!"

"Is there – is there a war going on?" Tsunade asked fearfully.

Mito raised a red eyebrow, brown eyes narrowing.

"Who told you that, Tsunade-chan?" she asked.

"Kasumi-chan said Sakumo-kun's parents were sent on an S-rank mission," Tsunade admitted, lip trembling slightly, "And even Tobirama-ojii-san has been gone long. And now Tou-san and Okaa-san too! I thought that only happens in war time..."

Mito sighed, sitting down, and patted her lap.

Tsunade immediately clambered on, snuggling into her grandmother.

"There's no war, princess," Mito assured her, stroking her hair, "But there are some political things happening which you won't understand. Don't worry about it, though. Ojii-san, our Hokage-sama will make sure everything turns out alright."

"Are you sure?" Tsunade persisted, "We're not at war?"

"We're _not _at war," Mito said firmly.

The 'not yet' went unspoken, and despite her grandmother's assurances, Tsunade felt rather uncomfortable.

"Now, go on, you have an hour before lunch," Mito nudged her, "Why don't you play with your friends? I'll send a maid to get you."

Tsunade didn't want to go play with anyone though, and instead retreated to the library of the Hokage Tower (she was, of course, allowed access) and stayed their till the evening, one of the maids bringing her food.

She studied the scrolls on medical ninjutsu – it had always been her dream to become a medical ninja. But for some reason, she was feeling too fidgety and uneasy to concentrate properly.

It was seven in the evening when an ANBU member suddenly burst into the room.

"Tsunade-chan," he spoke from behind his bear-mask, "You are to return back home immediately."

"Why?" Tsunade asked, not really caring.

It's not like she'd been studying but it was rare for her to be summoned home by ANBU like this.

"Orders from above," the ANBU said, "It's urgent. Please come immediately. I am to escort you."

"I can go home myself, you know," Tsunade muttered, "It's two minutes from here!"

"Tsunade-chan, please," the ANBU said, and Tsunade rolled her eyes, getting up.

"Yeah, yeah, coming..."

They walked out and took the hallway connecting the Tower to Tsunade's home.

They met two Uchiha along the way, both of whom glowered at Tsunade and the ANBU.

A chill ran down Tsunade's spine – the Uchiha were usually nasty, but they'd never glared at her with such vengeance. And she didn't even know these two, though they probably knew her as Hashirama Senju's granddaughter.

However, the continued as if nothing had happened, the ANBU's hand tightening on the kodachi.

Tsunade didn't notice this.

"Oh, thank Kami!" Mito gasped when the door opened, and she quickly pulled Tsunade inside.

"Thank you," she nodded at the ANBU, who bowed before disappearing in a whirl of leaves.

Mito shut the door tightly, and pulled a scroll out of her pocket, making a few hand symbols.

Suddenly, a large seal appeared on the door, followed by a few huge metal bars and bolts. Tsunade noticed the same protection had been given to all the windows as well.

"Obaa-san?" she asked, feeling suddenly scared. "What's the matter?"

"Tsunade, did you meet any shinobi along the way back?" Mito asked, "Uchiha in particular?"

"I saw two of them," Tsunade admitted, bewildered, "They didn't do anything though, just glared as usual. Why?"

"Bastards," Mito hissed, and Tsunade was surprised.

Her grandmother never used expletives.

"Mito-obaa-san, what's happening?" she asked, panicking suddenly, "What's wrong?"

Her grandmother sighed, tucking away her scrolls.

"Your ojii-san had a fight with Madara Uchiha-san. They both left Konoha an hour ago."

"What? A fight? Why?" Tsunade asked, "What's Mad-eyes' problem?"

"Don't call him that," Mito said sternly, "This fight has been coming for a long time, Tsunade-chan. There has always been a rivalry between Senju and Uchiha. Those Uchiha you saw right now probably were meant to kidnap you, for leverage against your grandfather."

"What?" Tsunade gasped.

"Yes," Mito said grimly, "It's a good thing I sent the ANBU, or they would have succeeded. They sent two other Uchiha to kidnap me as well. Fortunately, I wasn't unarmed, and I defeated them easily enough –"

"They tried to kidnap you?" Tsunade asked, aghast, "And you – defeated two Uchiha?"

Despite the fact that she disliked them, Tsunade knew the Uchiha were powerful.

"They couldn't have been higher than Chuunin, though I'm sure I could have handled a Jounin or too as well, though it would have been much tougher. They underestimated me because I was a woman. Chauvinistic pigs."

"I – oh," Tsunade said, too shocked to speak.

Mito smiled slightly.

"You're obaa-san is tougher than you think, princess," she said.

"Is – ojii-san going to be alright? Does he have help?" Tsunade asked frantically, fear mounting within her.

"Don't worry about him," Mito said grimly, "I'm sure he'll pull it off."

Tsunade spent the rest of the evening in the living room with her grandmother, who was pacing about relentlessly, fidgeting with her scrolls.

"Why – can't you help him?" Tsunade asked.

"Madara challenged your ojii-san only. It will be a deadly battle. Anyone else would come in the way." Mito said, before scowling, "And besides, Hashirama placed a jutsu on me which won't let me leave Konoha. Even if I try, tree roots suddenly spring out and stop me. It's like he knew I'd want to and had to prevent it."

"...oh," Tsunade said, feeling very small, the tension within her mounting, "And is ojii-san going to be alright," she asked, for the tenth time that evening.

Mito stopped pacing, and looked at her.

"Tsunade, Madara Uchiha is very strong," she said, "But your grandfather is Hokage. He is by far the strongest man in Konoha, so trust me when I say he _will _prevail."

Her voice trembled when she spoke and Tsunade suddenly felt like crying.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Tsunade-chan, its ten-o-clock. Go to bed," Mito said a few hours later.

"I can't sleep, obaa-san!" Tsunade protested, "I'm so worried!"

"Tsunade-chan, you have to be at the Academy early for your Genin team announcement tomorrow," Mito said sternly, "You must go to bed now."

"But obaa-san-" Tsunade wailed.

"Tsunade-chan, go to bed _now _or I'll make you," Mito said, holding up her scroll warningly.

"Fine," Tsunade pouted, biting her lip.

She wasn't foolish enough to go against her grandmother's scrolls. Kami knows what she sealed into them!

Tsunade trudged off, but Mito stopped her, and she looked up.

"Good night, Tsunade-chan," Mito said sweetly, "And don't worry. Everything will be alright."

She dropped a kiss on Tsunade's forehead.

"Good night, obaa-san."

Tsunade walked back to her room and got ready for bed.

Tsunade curled into the soft sheets, resting her head against the pillow.

She tried sleeping but it eluded her, and she couldn't help but wonder what was happening to her grandfather and that evil Uchiha.

And Tobirama-ojii-san and her parents who were far away in Kumo...

A flash of lightening suddenly illuminated the room, and she gasped slightly. A few seconds later, thunder rumbled menacingly.

It was raining outside, the droplets pelting against her window. Tsunade could hear them, complimenting the thunder.

Another flash of lightning.

Tsunade clutched her blankets tightly.

_Ojii-san uses Mokuton, which is a mixture of Doton and Suiton. But Doton is weak against Raiton which is lightning, _she fretted, _he's at an elemental disadvantage right now!_

_But Uchiha usually use Katon which is weak against water and rain, _she tried to reassure herself, drawing on her knowledge from the Academy, _and since Mokuton uses Suiton the rain could help it as well..._

Tsunade tossed and turned, unable to sleep, until someone finally entered her room.

She felt a weight on the side of her bed, as her grandmother's soothing hands started stroking her hair.

Soon she fell asleep.

/\/\/\/\/\

CRASH!

Tsunade jerked awake from the sudden sound. It was probably one or two in the morning. The storm had continued through the night.

She could here frantic voices and the pounding of feet.

"Hashi-kun!"

"Careful, he's burnt!"

"What was that?"

"Amaterasu. Bloody eye techniques."

"Tobirama! When did you get back!"

"Just in time, it seems. He passed out a kilometer from the gate."

"What happened?"

"They fought at the Valley of the End-"

"Get a medic!"

"NO! I'll handle this!'

Tsunade rolled out of bed, her heart pounding as she ran outside her room.

She could hear her grandmother's frantic voice, as well as grand-uncle Tobirama's.

She stepped into the living room.

Her heart nearly stopped at the sight.

Her grandfather – her beloved grandfather and Hokage Hashirama Senju – lay on the floor, unconscious. His tanned face was filled with scratches and cuts, and there were a few strange black burn marks on his arms. But nothing was worse than the gaping hole in his chest, with blood pooling out.

Tobirama was supporting his body, his hands bloodied as well, as Mito kneeled beside him, her palms glowing with green chakra. There were two ANBU as well, crouched around the body.

Tsunade gasped, tears stinging her eyes.

Tobirama looked up, red eyes narrowing, before he smiled slightly.

"Tsunade-chan," he greeted, "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Wh-what happened?" Tsunade stammered, her eyes not leaving her grandfather's torso.

"Just a little run in with Mad-eyes," Tobirama said, "Don't worry yourself about it. He'll be okay. Shinobi get injured all the time in fights, your obaa-san will heal it just fine!"

"But – but," Tsunade began, but Tobirama just shook his head.

"Now now, Tsunade-chan. We're all busy. Go back to bed. I promise he'll be okay."

"Did he – did he win?" Tsunade asked, her voice shaking.

Tobirama grinned at this.

"Of course he did! No Senju is going to be taken down by a weird-eyed Uchiha! He's only unconscious, and Madara is dead. You don't need to worry anymore. Go back to sleep. When you wake up he'll be as good as new!"

Tsunade bit her lip, but did so, casting one last look at her grandfather's deceptively young-looking, battered face.

/\/\/\/\/\

When she woke up, Tsunade was relieved to see that her grandfather _was _'good as new'. He'd been healed completely, except for the burn marks on his arm. He'd been asleep when she woke up, but Mito took her to seem him.

"They seem semi-permanent," Mito told her, "One of the forbidden Uchiha techniques."

"Are they hurting him?" Tsunade whispered.

"Maybe a little," Mito told her, "But the main damage has all been dealt with. Don't worry."

"You're grand-dad's strong, Tsunade-hime," Tobirama said, running a hand through his shaggy white hair, "A delusional fire-spitter can't do him much harm. Run along, now. Your grandmother needs to rest too, she's had an exhausting night healing him."

He steered her out of the room, striking up conversation.

"Congratulations, princess! Heard you passed with distinction!"

"Yes," Tsunade said, feeling immensely relieved now, "I'm getting assigned my team and Jounin sensei today."

"Good luck for that," Tobirama smiled, before winking at her, "Hopefully you'll get a nice handsome shinobi on your squad!"

"Ojii-san!" Tsunade squealed, "Yuck!"

"Kidding," Tobirama grinned, ruffling her hair, "Don't get any ideas. You're too young and I don't want to go around drowning any shinobi who – _cross _limits, if you get what I mean..."

"Ojii-san, please," Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"In a few years then," Tobirama conceded, "Come, I'll walk you to the Academy. I have business that way anyhow."

"How was your mission? Have you seen tou-san and okaa-san?"

"My mission was okay. I saw them, and don't worry, they're fine."

"Why were you in Kumo?"

"Because the Raikage is a particularly dear friend of mine..."

"Really?"

"In a manner of speaking – look we've reached. Have fun and be good!"

"I will," Tsunade said, noticing the sudden change of subject but choosing not to comment.

"And remember, any Uchiha pisses you off even a bit, you have my full permission to knock his teeth out, okay princess?"

Tsunade giggled.

"Okay. Bye Tobirama-ojii-san!"

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade didn't bump into any Uchiha, which was surprising.

She did however meet Kasumi who was amidst a group of children, all discussing something in hushed voices.

"Hey," Tsunade said warily, stepping forward.

"Tsunade!" Kasumi cried, "Is the Hokage-sama alright?"

"I – what?" Tsunade asked, shocked.

News sure traveled fast.

"I heard about it at breakfast from my parents!" Kasumi squealed, "He had some huge fight with the Uchiha clan head at the waterfall, right!"

"I heard Hokage-sama totally creamed Uchiha-sama!" Izumi Yamanaka said.

"I heard it was the other way around," Karo Inuzuka said dubiously.

"Why don't we just ask Tsunade, she's bound to know best herself," Dan suggested.

At least a dozen pairs of eyes fell on her.

Tsunade swallowed.

"Um – ojii-san – I mean – Hokage-sama won," she finally said, confirming their doubts.

"I told you!" Izumi sang, "My gossip is _never _wrong!"

"I heard it was a pretty intense fight..."

"Yeah, we dropped off my dad at ANBU corps this morning, they were talking _all _about it there-"

"I heard the Uchiha guy made black flames or something!"

"No! That's impossible. They couldn't be black!"

"I _swear _I heard people say black-"

"It was night when they fought, maybe it just _looked _like that-"

"If its fire then it'd light up you baka!"

Tsunade sighed and turned away. She would have thought that fight was confidential, a secret mission or something; but apparently most of the kids at the Academy coming from ninja families knew about it.

She didn't want to discuss it with them though.

The sight of her grandfather's body with blood pooling around it was still fresh in her mind, and thinking of the fight made her sick.

She moved away from the crowd, and chose to sit at an unoccupied desk in the corner.

Dan walked towards her after a few minutes.

"Hey," he said softly, "Is everything alright? I mean, he was your grandfather so it must have been hard on you. Are you okay?"

Tsunade smiled at him, hoping more than ever that he'd be her teammate. He _was _really nice.

"Thanks," she said, "I was pretty scared. But everything's fine now."

"That's good," he nodded.

"Hey! Tsunade-chan!" someone screeched.

Tsunade looked up.

"Jiraiya," she greeted.

"Hey, guess what," Jiraiya said, flashing her a grin.

"What?"

He pulled something out of his pocket and thrust it at her: his forehead protector.

"I passed yesterday! Isn't that great!"

"Excellent," Tsunade sniffed, "Now get that thing out of my face."

In all honesty, she was surprised he had passed. Jiraiya wasn't dumb, but he usually fooled around in class and never gave anyone the impression that he wanted to or could do well. Still, if he passed it obviously meant he was competent enough.

"Me, you and Orochimaru passed," Jiraiya said, "Isn't that cool! The three youngest in the class and the three youngest Genin to ever graduate!"

"Yeah," Tsunade said.

"Hey, look! It's Orochimaru! The third one! Hey Orochimaru, come sit here!" Jiraiya waved frantically towards the pale boy who had just entered the class.

Orochimaru looked at him, green eyes narrowing, before slowly making his way over.

"Hello, Orochimaru-kun," Tsunade greeted politely.

"Guess what?" Jiraiya all but shouted in his face, "You, me and Tsunade are the three youngest to ever pass this year! Awesome, right?"

Orochimaru leaned away slightly, looking somewhat disturbed at Jiraiya's invasion of his personal space.

"Yes," he answered finally when there was appropriate distance between them.

"So didja find the exam easy? Heck, I did," Jiraiya said conversationally.

"It was easy enough," Orochimaru replied, though he didn't seem to enthusiastic to be having the conversation in the first place.

"How did you score on the written exam, Orochimaru-kun?" Tsunade couldn't help but ask.

"I did well," Orochimaru said evenly.

"What did you get?" Jiraiya pressed.

"...full," the pale haired boy finally replied.

"WHAT?" Jiraiya gaped at him, looking utterly ridiculous.

_Damn, _Tsunade, the ever competitive kunoichi thought, _if only I'd answered the Uchiha one properly..._

But then she remembered Madara, that murderous creep, and thought that no matter what, she'd _never _admit that the Sharingan was a dojutsu with powerful ocular powers. No matter how many marks it lost her on a written exam.

"Class, will you please be silent!" Itsuto called above the clamor as he entered, "The Genin teams are about to be read out!"

The boisterous shinobi and kunoichi settled down immediately, and the room was deathly silent.

"That was quick," Itsuto observed, "Now, as you all now, Genin are assigned to squads of three, with one Jounin sensei. We have tried to keep the squads as balanced as possible. The members of your squad will become like a second family to you. You will train together, go on missions together, and often be responsible for each others lives."

The children fidgeted. None of them really cared for all of that – they just wanted to know their teammates.

"I will now begin reading out the squads," Itsuto said.

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade noticed that all the talk about 'balancing out' was nonsense. The first five teams that had been read out didn't have a _single _child from a ninja clan or family. All the prestigious clan children had yet to be given a squad. It was suspicious, that was for sure.

"Team Six," Itsuto read out, "Will be Izumi Yamanaka, Inari Uchiha and Shion Aburame."

There was a squeal from Izumi at this – probably because she'd been paired up with an Uchiha. Tsunade just rolled her eyes.

"Inari is not present today, but he will be informed of this later," Itsuto went on.

Tsunade wasn't surprised. None of the three Uchiha had come today and though she liked the idea, she doubted all three of them had failed.

"The Jounin sensei for Team Six will be Kagumi Uchiha."

There was another happy squeal from Izumi at this. Tsunade narrowed her eyes slightly – she recognized that name... she remembered Tobirama-ojii-san grumbling about a Kagami Uchiha during dinner once.

_Probably one of his students, _Tsunade surmised.

"Team Seven," Itsuto continued, "Will consist of Jiraiya, Tsunade Senju and Orochimaru."

There were a few gasps at this, and even Tsunade sat up, startled.

The three youngest, in a team together?

"Alright!" Jiraiya shouted suddenly, punching the air.

He beamed at both Tsunade and Orochimaru. Tsunade just rolled her eyes, and Orochimaru remained expressionless.

_Jiraiya-baka and the genius, huh? _Tsunade thought, _my new teammates..._

She didn't know what to think. Jiraiya was a bit of an idiot, but he was funny at times, and apparently clever if he could pass. Orochimaru was quiet and reserved, but undoubtedly very skilled. She supposed her team would be interesting enough. And thank _Kami _there was no Uchiha on it.

"The Jounin sensei assigned to Team Seven is Hiruzen Sarutobi," Itsuto announced.

Tsunade smirked slightly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was that bearded man – Tobirama-ojii-san's favorite student. Her grand-uncle would be proud. She didn't know him, but he'd come over a few times for dinner. Tobirama-ojii-san always raved about him, and he seemed nice enough. He'd once given her a stuffed monkey, though that had been a few years ago.

"Team Eight will be Dan Arakawa, Hikari Hyuuga and Chokichi Akimichi," Itsuto went on, "And Kaguya Kurama will be your Jounin sensei."

Tsunade recognized the sensei as one of the Kurama clan, probably Kasumi's relative.

"Team Nine will be Akako Uchiha, Kasumi Kurama and Shinji Nara," Itsuto read out, "And Torifu Akimichi will be the Jounin sensei."

Tsunade recalled the name as yet another pupil of Tobirama-ojii-san. He'd probably visited her house once or twice two. Tsunade remembered him as the fat man who hogged all the food. She also remembered her parents speaking about him at breakfast the day before.

"And last, but not least: Team Ten. Team Ten will be Sakumo Hatake, Karo Inuzuka and Daichi Uchiha."

_We do have a lot of Uchiha swarming around in this village, _Tsunade thought disdainfully.

"The Jounin instructor for Team Ten will be Takako Mitarashi," Itsuto finished.

_So those are the teams, huh? _Tsunade thought, _obviously they haven't balanced them out properly. I wonder why... maybe to appease the clans. Still, it's weird they'd put the three youngest together even if we are really good._

Itsuto then went on to explain some more rules and regulations about the squads. Jiraiya caught Tsunade's eye and shot her a grin and thumbs up. She nodded back, smiling slightly, before turning to Orochimaru. Orochimaru was just staring ahead, listening attentively.

Tsunade rubbed her hands together, feeling excited. Her Genin team had been declared and it seemed like quite a good one; now all that was left was to start missions!

/\/\/\/\/\

_Author's Note – First chapter done. Please leave me a review! Thanks for reading! =) _


	2. The First Shinobi World War

_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto_

_Author's Note – Next chapter is here. Again, the timeline may have a few liberties, for the sake of plot and because it was unclear on Narutopedia and all the other sides._

_Also, to answer a PM, the Kurama clan is a canon clan in the anime, though it doesn't come in the manga. It comes in one of the fillers, and I wanted more clans so I used it. _

/\/\/\/\/\

When the newly graduated Genin were released for lunch (they had to come back in two hours to meet their new Jounin sensei), Tsunade found herself in the whirlwind that was Kasumi Kurama and Izumi Yamanaka.

"I have _two _Uchiha on my squad. _Two_!" Izumi was squealing, looking rather dreamy.

Kasumi, on the other hand looked vaguely irritated.

"I got Akako Uchiha," she grumbled to Tsunade, "He's a real prick, you know. And all Shinji Nara does is sleep all day..."

"Your Jounin sensei is good though," Tsunade offered in consolation, "Think he was one of my grand-uncle's students..."

"Yeah..." Kasumi agreed, brightening, "It'll still be fun though! I wish I'd gotten someone like Sakumo-kun, but it'll be cool doing missions and stuff!"

"What're _you_ whining for?" Izumi squawked, "You have Akako-kun, and he's the coolest and _cutest _Uchiha in our class!"

"He's a snob, and he's really rude to Tsunade-chan," Kasumi replied.

"YO! TSUNADE-HIME!" Jiraiya called loudly, waving frantically, "OVER HERE!"

"I'll see you guys around," Tsunade told her friends, heading over to her new teammates.

Jiraiya was standing next to a rather annoyed-looking Orochimaru; or as annoyed as Orochimaru could look, because he never usually displayed much emotion. Tsunade supposed that would change, after having the emphatic Jiraiya around for awhile as a teammate.

"The three youngest, together, huh," Jiraiya grinned, "I bet we'll kick all the old kids' asses!"

"Watch your mouth," Tsunade said snippily.

Jiraiya was rather _loud _and obnoxious; most of the 'older kids' were currently glaring at him, but he continued unaffected.

"So what's our sensei like?" Jiraiya pressed, leaning forward, "You must know, right?"

"Why would I know?" Tsunade demanded.

"Hokage's granddaughter," Jiraiya shrugged, "So if we're in your squad we're bound to get the coolest instructor. And you probably already know who it is, right?"

Tsunade found him irritatingly insightful at this time.

"I don't know much about him except he's my grand-uncle's student," Tsunade confessed, "He seems nice, and Tobirama-ojii-san praises him a lot, so he must be cool."

"I bet he's _awesome_," Jiraiya nodded vigorously, "Right Orochimaru?"

"Hm," Orochimaru shrugged, making a non-committal sound.

"Well I have to go home for lunch," Tsunade said, "I'll meet you here at two, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, bye-bye Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya chimed, "Me and Orochimaru are going for food too..."

Orochimaru didn't seem too pleased with this idea, but Tsunade noticed he let Jiraiya drag him off nonetheless.

/\/\/\/\/\

When she reached home, her grandfather was fully awake, and eating lunch with her grandmother and grand-uncle. Her parents hadn't returned yet.

"Ojii-san!" Tsunade cried, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Hashirama smiled, leaning forward and patting her head. "Come, sit down and eat something."

"So, how's your squad?" Tobirama asked, raising an eyebrow as Tsunade slid into her seat.

"Me, Orochimaru and Jiraiya," Tsunade said, "And we have Hiruzen-sensei as our instructor. He's your student, right?"

"My very best student," Tobirama said proudly, "In fact he's gonna succeed your grand-daddy as Hokage one day, too!"

"Tobi-kun, _please_," Mito rolled her eyes, "There's a long time for that yet, and it's not even official."

"As good as," Tobirama shrugged, "Kami knows _I _don't want to be stuck with it..."

"Tobirama!" Hashirama said disapprovingly, "That's _not _a very responsible thing to say as-"

"All that annoying paperwork," Tobirama went on, before pulling a face and looking at Tsunade.

"Besides, Tsunade-chan, I don't want my amazing hair covered by that silly hat grand-daddy wears all the time, do I?"

Tsunade giggled, and Hashirama just shook his head.

"Keep talking and you'll jinx it," Mito said, "Have some chicken, Tsunade-chan."

/\/\/\/\/\

When Tsunade reached the classroom where they were supposed to meet their sensei, Jiraiya and Orochimaru were already there.

Jiraiya was chuckling to himself, holding something in his palm, and Orochimaru was looking at it, mild amusement etched on his usually stoic face.

"Tsunade-chan!" Jiraiya greeted, thrusting his open hands into her face.

"Aaaargh!" Tsunade screeched, jerking her face from the slimy, wrinkly thing in Jiraiya's hands.

Jiraiya just snorted with laughter.

"Jiraiya, you baka!" Tsunade shrieked, "Why'd you shove that dirty thing in my face? What're you even doing, carrying frogs around? It's unhygienic and gross!"

"It's a toad," Jiraiya corrected, not bothering to apologize, "And it isn't dirty. You're just scared of it 'cause you're a _girl_."

"Wanna say that again?" Tsunade threatened, cracking her fist.

"No thanks," Jiraiya muttered, shrinking back as Orochimaru watched on.

"What are you doing with it anyway?" Tsunade asked, curiosity getting the better of her as she watched the small toad hop around on Jiraiya's palm.

"I'm gonna prank sensei with it!" Jiraiya said gleefully, cackling.

"No way!" Tsunade shot back, "That's just wrong and disrespectful! And sensei's a Jounin, he won't fall for a stupid trick!"

"Oh yeah?" Jiraiya challenged, "Wanna bet on that?"

Tsunade wrinkled her nose.

"I don't _bet_," she said condescendingly, "Betting is _cheap_."

"Suit yourself," Jiraiya shrugged, climbing onto a chair situated near the door, obviously trying to get his master prank into action.

Ten minutes later, when Hiruzen Sarutobi walked into the room, he was unpleasantly surprised when a slimy toad fell on top of his face with a squelch.

He made a face, plucking it off, before placing it on the windowsill.

Jiraiya was roaring with laughter, and even Tsunade had to hold back a giggle, as the man wiped at his goatee before fixing them with a glare.

"You know, that's not too great as first impressions go," Hiruzen said, his words aimed mainly at the cackling Jiraiya.

Jiraiya immediately sobered up, and Hiruzen looked at them benignly, before speaking.

"My name is Hiruzen Sarutobi and I will be your Jounin instructor," he introduced. "I like my family, the village of Konoha, seafood and monkeys. I dislike war and instability. My goals for the future include training you three into top shinobi and being able to do as much as I can for the village."

Jiraiya scrunched his face at the the part about monkeys but looked otherwise impressed. Orochimaru, as usual was expressionless.

"Well, why don't you all introduce yourself?" Hiruzen suggested, "Tell me your name, your likes and dislikes, as well as your goals. Who wants to go first?"

"Me!" Jiraiya bounced up and down, "Pick me!"

Hiruzen eyed him, but shook his head.

"You tried setting a highly immature trap with that toad back there," he said, "And as a punishment you'll have to go last."

"No fair!" Jiraiya pouted, crossing his arms.

Hiruzen turned to Tsunade.

"Tsunade-chan, I met you once when you were little," he greeted, "Your Tobirama-ojii-san is my sensei. But why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself properly?"

Tsunade sat up primly, straightening her back, and spoke.

"My name is Tsunade Senju. I like my family and friends, nice clothes and taijutsu. I dislike silly pranks, and stupid things like drinking and _betting_-" she shot Jiraiya a look as she said this. Jiraiya just stuck his tongue out at her.

"I also dislike Jiraiya," Tsunade said decidedly.

"HEY!" Jiraiya yelled.

"My dream is to be a strong kunoichi, and learn sealing and medical ninjutsu like my grandmother," Tsunade finished proudly.

"Very good," Hiruzen said approvingly, "Orochimaru?"

Tsunade and Jiraiya both looked at him curiously, wondering what he would say.

"My name is Orochimaru," the boy said softly, "I like learning ninjutsu and genjutsu. I dislike war. My ambition is to learn as many jutsu as possible and become a valuable shinobi to Konoha."

"Very good indeed," Hiruzen seemed impressed, as he looked over at Jiraiya, who had his arms crossed.

Jiraiya jumped up at once, spreading his legs and striking a rather ridiculous pose.

"Yo! I'm Jiraiya the great," he beamed in introduction, winking, "I like toads, pranks and reading books. I dislike kiwifruit and girls, because they have cooties – except Tsunade-chan of course," he added hurriedly, seeing his teammate's threatening look, "She's cool. But yeah. And my dreams – um – I dunno really. I wanna be an awesome shinobi, but I also wanna be a great and famous writer. I'm gonna publish my own series one day!"

"I see," Hiruzen observed, "That's an – interesting goal to have."

"I know, right," Jiraiya nodded, "And I'm gonna travel all around the world too, on missions and stuff. And stay in all these great hotels and eat lots of-"

"Admirable," Hiruzen said dryly, interrupting Jiraiya's ramblings, before smiling slightly, "But if you don't mind, we need to proceed. I'll surely hear the rest of your grand plans later, Jiraiya, there will be plenty of time to talk about all that."

"Sure thing," Jiraiya agreed amiably.

"Now that we've all introduced ourselves, by protocol I should be starting you on basic exercises so I can gauge your chakra control and other skills," Hiruzen stated, "However, I have an important meeting with the Hokage-sama today, so I'm going to be pretty busy. You three have the rest of the day off, and we begin official training tomorrow. Please report to training field thirty-nine at six o clock, sharp."

"Six o clock?" Jiraiya screeched, eyes bugging out, "That's too early!"

"You'll be setting on missions at much earlier times," Hiruzen reminded him.

"Fine," Jiraiya grumbled, "But that's really annoying..."

"Oh, and remember not to have any breakfast," Hiruzen added, as he walked out, "It may just upset your stomach and we're going to have a rather intense training session."

"NO BREAKFAST?" Jiraiya shouted, but Hiruzen had already left.

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade reached training ground thirty-nine at six o clock sharp. Orochimaru was already there, leaning against one of three wooden posts at the edge of the training ground, which was a clearing surrounded on one side by woods, the other by a lake. Tsunade admitted it was a pretty picturesque place; she sure liked it.

"Hey," she greeted Orochimaru, who looked up, his green eyes flicking to her face.

"Hello," he said.

"Sensei hasn't arrived yet, then?" Tsunade asked.

"No, nor has Jiraiya," Orochimaru replied.

"How long have you been waiting?"

"Ten minutes already."

"...ah."

Fifteen minutes later, Jiraiya came running in.

"Sorry I'm late!" he cried out, stopping short when both Tsunade and Orochimaru shot him annoyed glances.

"Where's sensei?" Jiraiya asked, looking confused.

"He hasn't arrived yet," Tsunade informed him, "He's later than _you _are."

Jiraiya paid this no heed, flopping onto the grass.

"Damn old geezer made us wake up early in the morning..." he grumbled.

"Tell me about it," Tsunade sighed, brushing away her bangs.

She was itching to do some actual _taijutsu_!

/\/\/\/\/\

Two hours later, Jiraiya was snoring loudly, face-down on the grass. Orochimaru leaned against the wooden post, and Tsunade was pacing around frantically.

"Where is he?" she asked out loud, "Do you think he got called up on a mission or something?"

"It's a possibility," Orochimaru said calmly, casting a glance at the snoozing Jiraiya, who had dozed off about an hour ago.

Tsunade wondered how Orochimaru could remain so calm. She was getting pretty frustrated.

"This is such a waste of time!" she exclaimed, "I could have slept in for two more hours!"

"You could go to sleep now, like Jiraiya," Orochimaru pointed out.

"No, he'll probably show up soon," Tsunade said, rolling her eyes, "And Jiraiya's an idiot, anyway. But why would he keep us waiting so long without even telling us anything? I haven't even eaten!"

"Maybe that's the point," Orochimaru mused.

"Huh?"

"Maybe he wants to make us wait without food, to teach us patience and endurance or something," Orochimaru said, "After all, shinobi go on long missions without eating or sleeping. Maybe this training for that."

"You could be right," Tsunade agreed, finding that Orochimaru was being more talkative than she'd initially believed, though he was still frightfully calm about the whole situation. "But I'm really bored. Wanna spar?"

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.

"We don't even know enough jutsu for that," he said, "And it would be foolish wasting all our chakra before sensei even arrives."

"You're right," Tsunade conceded, plopping down onto the grass, a few feet from Jiraiya, who was now snoring loudly, "But I'm getting _really _irritated..."

/\/\/\/\/\

Two hours after Hiruzen did arrive, to find one of his Genin sleeping.

"You're late!" Tsunade pounced up, pointing at him accusatorily, looking supremely annoyed.

"It would seem as though I am," Hiruzen nodded calmly, and Tsunade waited for him to continue.

He peered over at Jiraiya, who was fast-asleep, before quickly making a few hand-signs. Suddenly, the ground beneath Jiraiya disappeared, along with the snoozing boy.

There was a loud crash, and a string of colourful expletives which Jiraiya most definitely was far too young to be using.

"Hey, that hurt!" Jiraiya whined, clambering out of the hole, "Sensei! What gives?"

"Good morning, Jiraiya," Hiruzen smiled pleasantly, "Had a good nap?"

"Ahahaha," Jiraiya chuckled, looking sheepishly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... but you took forever to come!"

"I was testing your patience," Hiruzen told him, helping him up, before he addressed all three of them.

"Today, we're going to do a test," he informed the three Genin.

"What kind of test, sensei?" Tsunade asked.

"A very important test," Hiruzen said, reaching out into his pocket, and pulling out two bells. They jingled merrily.

"Your job is to capture these bells from me," Hiruzen announced, "Before lunchtime."

It was ten o clock already, and Tsunade assumed that meant they had two hours.

"Is that it?" Jiraiya asked, "Get the bells?"

"Yes," Hiruzen nodded.

"But won't – three on one be kinda unfair?" Jiraiya pointed out.

Hiruzen chuckled.

"We'll see about that," he said, "I think you'll find I'm not so badly disadvantaged against three newly graduated Genin."

"What's the catch?" Orochimaru asked suddenly.

Hiruzen observed him carefully.

"What do you mean?"

"There are two bells, but only three of us," Orochimaru stated, "So does that mean we're competing against one another as well?"

Hiruzen smiled.

"Perceptive, Orochimaru," he said, "There _are, _in fact, three of you, but only two bells. So whoever doesn't get the bell, doesn't pass the test, and has to be tied to this post and misses lunch."

"WHAT?" Jiraiya bellowed, "No way! I already skipped breakfast! Heck, I'm getting one of those darn bells!"

"We'll see about that," Tsunade said loftily, "Remember, you're competing against _us _too..."

"SO?" Jiraiya screeched, "Bet I'll get a bell and you won't, _princess _Tsunade!"

"I don't bet," Tsunade shot back, "And you don't have a chance, Jiraiya-baka! You're half-asleep anyways!"

"I'm not anymore!" Jiraiya protested, "And I bet I'll get a bell before both you _and _Orochimaru!"

"I highly doubt it," Orochimaru said, entering the conversation.

"What?" Jiraiya turned on him, "You're siding with _her _against me? You traitor!"

Orochimaru looked confused.

"How am I a traitor? I meant I highly doubt you'll get a bell before _me_," he pointed out.

"I thought we were friends," Jiraiya said melodramatically.

"We barely know each other," Orochimaru said, still bemused.

"IT'S THE PRINCIPLE OF THE THING!" Jiraiya howled at him.

"SHUT UP, USURATONKACHI!" Tsunade shouted, whacking Jiraiya on the head.

"Yeeeowch!" Jiraiya rubbed his head, scowling, "That hurt!"

"Well you deserved it!" Tsunade snapped, "Stop acting like an immature moron!"

"Then _you _stop acting like a bossy bitch!" Jiraiya retorted.

"Why you-" Tsunade lunged at him, but Hiruzen grabbed her arms, holding her back, and Jiraiya cackled loudly.

"Keep laughing and I'll break your teeth!" Tsunade threatened.

"I'd like to see you try that when you're tied to that post," Jiraiya teased.

"_You're _going to be tied to the post!" Tsunade shot back.

"You can sort out your differences later," Hiruzen said, "Because the test begins _now_!"

And suddenly, he was gone in a swirl of leaves, and Tsunade stumbled forwards, nearly bumping into Jiraiya, though she steadied herself before that.

"He disappeared!" Jiraiya howled, "How the heck do we find him or the bells now?"

"That's _your _problem," Tsunade shrugged, sticking her tongue out at him, before flouncing off.

"Geez," Jiraiya rolled his eyes, "Moody woman. Can't stand them. Hey Orochimaru –"

He looked around, turning his head, but Orochimaru was nowhere to be found.

"Traitor," Jiraiya muttered under his breath, though he knew it wasn't true, "Leaving me alone with a pissy woman and disappearing like that..."

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade finally found her sensei, peering at him from her spot in the tree. She was hidden well enough by the leaves, and she supposed Orochimaru was as well.

She waited, wondering when and how to go about getting the bells, when with a blur of green, red and white, Jiraiya had sped out and was attacking their sensei with a series of rapid taijutsu moves.

Hiruzen, however, dodged and side-stepped them nimbly. Tsunade was surprised at how fast Jiraiya was, but he held _nothing _to sensei. The Jounin was dodging them effortlessly.

Jiraiya made a few hand-seals and suddenly, a fairly sized fireball was blazing from his mouth.

Tsunade's eyes widened – that was a signature Uchiha technique! She didn't think _he _would know it.

Still, the attack forced Hiruzen to leap away, though Jiraiya was no closer to getting the bells than before.

Tsunade, however, took the chance and jumped down from her tree, landing behind her sensei. She didn't know too many jutsu either, so she created a shadow clone, and rushed towards him from two sides, her fist raised.

He dodged her easily, and she struck out again, as hard as she could. This time, he substituted instead.

"ARGH!" Tsunade shrieked, nursing a bruised hand.

Her punches were hard, but when they hit tree trunks, they hurt _her _more than anything!

Only Hiruzen noticed the small crack that had opened up in the trunk after Tsunade's hit.

Orochimaru chose that moment to make his appearance, and struck out as well, moving fluidly from one kata to another. He was as good at taijutsu as his teammates, though he moved with more fluidity and grace than Jiraiya, and was faster than the both of them.

Suddenly there was a flash of silver, and Tsunade noted that Orochimaru was wielding a medium-sized kodachi. She wondered how he could already wield it so well. Hiruzen, however, took out a kunai and effectively parried every blow, even forcing Orochimaru back a few steps, nearly knocking the weapon out of his hands.

Tsunade reached into her weapons pouch, grabbing a few shuriken and sending them spinning at her sensei. Jiraiya began to do the same. Hiruzen was able to parry their projectiles quite easily with just one kunai, but Tsunade kept hurling weapon after weapon anyway, though Jiraiya seemed to find it pointless, and switched to fireballs after awhile.

Tsunade then shot a meaningful glance at Orochimaru, who was in battle stance, kodachi in hand, and nodded over to their sensei. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, but seemed to catch her meaning.

As Tsunade and Jiraiya distracted Hiruzen with weapons, Orochimaru snuck up behind him, and lashed out with his kodachi. Hiruzen spun around just in time, and the weapon barely glanced against his belt. It did, however, make contact with the string holding the two bells, as Orochimaru had intended.

They landed on the ground, with a merry little jingle, and Orochimaru swiftly pocketed one of them, before leaping away.

At the same moment, both Jiraiya and Tsunade raced ahead.

"Hey!" Tsunade shrieked, as a shuriken barely grazed past the top of her head, cutting of a few strands of platinum blonde hair.

Jiraiya grinned cheekily at her, before leaping forwards, his fingers just inches from the bell that lay in the grass.

"No way," Tsunade growled, launching herself forward, and toppling onto Jiraiya.

They scuffled in the grass for a few moments, trying desperately to get the bell, until Tsunade punched him, hard in the face.

She regretted it slightly, but he _had _thrown a shuriken at her to force her to divert her path earlier.

"Owwww!" Jiraiya yelped, nursing a black eye, and Tsunade closer her hands around the cool, round metal, before leaping up and walking over to Orochimaru.

"Got it!" she announced triumphantly, raising her hand, and Jiraiya sat up, groaning, to glare at her.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Well, I must say your teamwork, even if initially unintentional, did evolve towards the end," Hiruzen commented, "Orochimaru effectively cut the bells from me while Tsunade and Jiraiya caused a diversion, and then took one for his own. Next time, Orochimaru, you can take your teammate's bell as well, and hand it to them, instead of leaving them to fight over it."

"Yes, sensei," Orochimaru nodded, before adding, "But I didn't know who to give it to."

"Me, obviously!" Jiraiya roared, struggling against the ropes that bound him to the wooden post, "For the sake of male _pride, _Orochimaru! We can't let these stupid women overpower us!"

"_You _just _did_," Tsunade felt compelled to point out, jingling her bell in his face. "I won, Jiraiya-baka!" she giggled.

"Shut up, flat-chested Tsunade!" Jiraiya shot back.

Tsunade lunged at him again, shrieking.

"WHADDID YOU SAY?"

"HIRUZEN-SENSEI TSUNADE CHEATED!" Jiraiya screeched into her face.

"Why you little-" Tsunade snarled, but Hiruzen held her back before she could punch Jiraiya again.

"Once is quite enough, don't you think, Tsunade-chan?" Hiruzen asked.

"I didn't cheat! Jiraiya's just a sore loser!" Tsunade insisted.

Hiruzen didn't say anything to that.

"I am _not_. You _did _cheat, by punching me. That was foul play. I would _never _hit a girl-"

"You threw a freaking shuriken at me, you retard!"

"That's different! I would never – get _physical _with you! I wouldn't-"

"EWWW! You pervert!" Tsunade accused, eyes widening.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Jiraiya yelled back, reddening instantly, "_You _touched me!"

"I _punched _you!" Tsunade screamed.

"You practically – _raped _me!"

"You really shouldn't be using that word, forget knowing what it means," Hiruzen said quickly.

"I – what?" Tsunade blinked, not getting it.

"You punched me," Jiraiya repeated instead, pouting slightly, "And it hurt.'

"Get over it," Tsunade rolled her eyes, "You'll be facing worse from enemy ninja. And I didn't even punch you where it'd _hurt_, idiot."

Jiraiya looked rather fearful, attempting to cross his legs. The ropes restricted his movements.

"Pervert," he squeaked, and Tsunade looked ready to fly at him again, before Hiruzen intervened.

"Now, now, that's enough," Hiruzen separated them.

Tsunade stuck her tongue out at Jiraiya, pulling down her eyelid. Jiraiya just fumed, glowering at her, still looking rather sulky.

"Tsunade, Orochimaru, good job on getting the bells," Hiruzen said, "You two are done for now..."

"Alright!" Tsunade cheered, laughing at Jiraiya's expression, as she flounced off, "Come on, Orochimaru-kun, let's get lunch! I'm starving!"

Orochimaru stared at her for a moment, before quietly walking behind her.

"Tsunade! Waaait!" Jiraiya was wailing, "Orochimaru! Don't ditch me! We men have to stick together, remember!"

Orochimaru looked back at him, almost pityingly, but Hiruzen nodded at them to leave.

"Come back in an hour," Hiruzen said.

"Yes, sensei," Orochimaru nodded respectfully, before following Tsunade, Jiraiya's yell of 'traitor' ringing in the air.

"I don't understand why he keeps calling me that," Orochimaru told Tsunade, "All I did was not give him the bell, but that's because you were there too, and it would be wrong on my part to choose. And right now, sensei told us to leave."

Tsunade just shrugged.

"Don't mind him. Jiraiya's an idiot," she said dismissively, "But seriously, it's like you've abandoned Konoha or something, the way he's going on..."

/\/\/\/\/\

When Tsunade and Orochimaru reached central Konoha (their training field was in quite a secluded area), the town was in chaos.

There was a thick tension in the air, and Jounin and ANBU were flitting around the streets.

Many people were talking, rather loudly, and Tsunade could detect panic in their voices. She caught snatches of their conversation.

"Kumo and Kiri have allied-"

"-he demanded a bijuu, a tailed beast-"

"-declared war-"

"Hokage-sama tried to stop it-"

"-offered to divide the bijuu, but Suna attacked-"

"What's going on?" Tsunade asked, her heart pounding as she turned to her teammate, but Orochimaru just shook his head.

"I don't know. It seems important though."

"Come on," Tsunade said urgently, panic suddenly flooding her, "Let's go..."

The two Genin ran past the crowds, threading through the hoards of people, until they finally made it to the Hokage Tower, and Tsunade's residence that adjoined it.

"Obaa-san! Ojii-san!" Tsunade hollered, banging on the door.

An ANBU answered instead, a shinobi wearing an eagle mask.

"Where are-" Tsunade began breathlessly, but the ANBU interrupted.

"Hashirama Hokage-sama and Tobirama-sama have left the village, Tsunade-chan. Your grandmother is busy in a meeting with the clan heads," the ANBU said.

"What!" Tsunade exclaimed, "Why? What's going on! Why's everyone acting so scared!"

The ANBU was silent for a moment, before answering.

"Kumogakure and some of the villages have declared war against us."

"War!" Tsunade gasped, her stomach plummeting, eyes growing wide. Even Orochimaru's green eyes widened, and he looked shocked.

"You'd better run along now," the ANBU said, "There's an important meeting going on, so you're not allowed inside right now. I cannot answer any further questions you may have, Tsunade-chan."

The door closed, and Tsunade stared ahead in shock, trembling.

"We – better go back to the training ground," Orochimaru said after awhile.

Tsunade gulped, nodding.

/\/\/\/\/\

To their surprise, they met an untied and oddly quiet Jiraiya with a rather harrowed looking Hiruzen-sensei on their way to the training ground. There was also another creature, an enormous hairy gorilla-type creature wearing a tiger-skin yukata and carrying a long staff with them. Tsunade recoiled slightly at the sight of it, though Orochimaru walked a few steps ahead.

"Sensei?" Orochimaru asked.

"Tsunade, Orochimaru, meet my friend Enma, the Monkey-King," Hiruzen said rather blandly, before turning to the monkey, "Enma, send message to Mito-sama that I will be there in exactly two minutes."

"Pleasure to meet you," the monkey spoke, rather gruffly, nodding at both Orochimaru and Tsunade, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"What-" Orochimaru began, but Jiraiya interrupted him.

"Animal summons," he said, sounding strangely proud, "I'm gonna learn too, one day."

"You all will," Hiruzen said quickly before either of the other two could start an argument.

"Sensei, what's happening?" Tsunade burst out finally, "Are we at war?"

Hiruzen looked at her gravely, before speaking.

"There have been whisperings of war for the past few weeks. I have just received a summon, so I must report to Mito-sama immediately-"

"My ojii-san has left the village to fight!" Tsunade shrieked, "I heard them say that! The villagers are talking about something called bijuu as well! What's going on?"

Hiruzen looked at her sharply.

"Don't listen to the villager's gossip," he advised her, "And don't go asking anyone about the bijuu. There are some things which you shouldn't speak about, and _that _is certainly one of them."

"But what-"

"I'm sorry, but I can't explain the exact situation to you quite yet. I highly suspect Kumogakure has declared war on us, but the details are unclear. I've been called for an urgent meeting by Hokage-sama's wife, Mito-sama – your grandmother, Tsunade. I'm afraid I have to go, but you three take care, and report here at eight o clock, tomorrow morning. Congratulations on passing today's test!"

And with a flurry of leaves, he was gone, leaving three rather shocked Genin in his wake.

"I – I can't believe it," Tsunade said softly, breaking the silence, "We're at – we're at war..."

"Don't worry about Hokage-sama, Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya said, surprisingly perceptive and consoling, "I'm sure he'll kick any Kumo-nin's ass good with the funky plant jutsu..."

Tsunade would have snapped at him for calling her grandfather's revered 'Mokuton' a 'funky plant jutsu' but then realised he was being rather nice to her, despite their debacle from earlier.

"Suppose so," she agreed grudgingly, though the image of her grandfather after his battle with Madara Uchiha flashed in her mind, sending a wave of nausea through her.

He hadn't even healed entirely yet... he couldn't go to war! She hadn't even had a chance to speak to him properly, before he left!

"Come on, Tsunade-chan, Orochimaru, let's go for lunch," Jiraiya said, interrupting her thoughts.

For once she didn't mind, and Tsunade tried to calm the tension that was building inside of her.

Everything would be okay. It had to.

/\/\/\/\/\

They had lunch at a dango stall, just the three of them. Tsunade was too preoccupied too talk much (or argue) so Jiraiya did most of the talking, and seeing that Tsunade seemed upset, he decided to annoy Orochimaru instead.

Tsunade soon realised that Orochimaru wasn't quite as calm and quiet as he appeared. In fact, after being around Jiraiya for a few more weeks, she was sure he'd end up as crazy as the white-haired boy.

"You should really cut it," Jiraiya was saying through mouthfuls of dango, "I mean, it's pretty and all, but it makes you look like a girl."

Orochimaru twitched, stabbing his own piece of dango with a toothpick.

Jiraiya didn't notice, and ploughed on relentlessly.

"I mean, seriously, you're probably the prettiest in our grade," Jiraiya said, "And that's not a good thing, though it's partially because Tsunade-chan and the other girls are still too _small _if you get what I mean..."

Tsunade flung her toothpicks at him, like senbon, but Jiraiya neatly parried them, not noticing Orochimaru's tight expression.

"No shinobi will ever trust you if you look so girly, and all the enemies will laugh," Jiraiya said wisely, propagating an air of great wisdom, "So if I were you, I'd take my advice and-"

Splat.

Jiraiya dropped his dango onto the floor, freezing as a kodachi came level with his neck.

"If I were you, I'd take my advice and shut the _hell _up," Orochimaru hissed, green eyes glinting.

Jiraiya gulped, eyeing him nervously.

"I gotcha," he said, "Really. I did. So you can put the sword a-way."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and surveyed him for a moment, before sheathing his weapon and continuing as if nothing had happened.

"Geez," Jiraiya muttered, rubbing his neck, "You don't just look like a girl, you're emo and act like one too-aaargh!"

This time, the entire bowl was dumped on his head, the sticky sauce dripping down Jiraiya's astonished face.

Jiraiya blinked. Orochimaru glared at him.

"You were saying?" Orochimaru asked.

"Bastard," Jiraiya grumbled.

The meal continued amicably after that. Tsunade decided her teammates were quite amusing at the least.

/\/\/\/\/\

The next morning they met Hiruzen-sensei at the training field, and for once, Jiraiya was on time.

Tsunade was slightly tired; she hadn't had a good night's sleep. Her grandmother had been unavailable throughout the evening due to her meeting, and all Tsunade heard in the village was war-gossip about tailed beasts, ambushes and conspiracies. It was driving her mad.

"What happened?" she asked breathlessly the moment Hiruzen arrived.

"Official war," he said grimly, "Kumo, Kiri, Suna, Iwa, and of course, Suna. We're not too sure what the alliances are, but this the first shinobi world war to have ever broken out. Hashirama-sama is trying his best to resolve things peacefully, but it's not working too well. I'm set to be deployed to the front-lines in a week, or maybe even less. It's best I teach you what I can till then."

"You're leaving?" Jiraiya gasped, "To fight?"

"Of course I am," Hiruzen said, "Konoha needs me. That is why I have chosen the path of a shinobi."

"Are we going to fight to?" Jiraiya asked.

"No," Hiruzen shook his head, "Not yet, certainly not. You're far too inexperienced. And we're nowhere that desperate to throw genin onto the front-lines."

"But what about our missions?" Orochimaru asked, "And our training?"

"I said I'll train you till my deployment," Hiruzen answered, "As for missions, you'll be starting with D-rank, so I'm sure you'll manage those even without me."

He set them on training right after that, first with chakra control exercises. They had to climb up trees. Tsunade was quite proud to have managed this on her third try, being able to control and direct her chakra perfectly until she neatly walked to the top. Orochimaru and Jiraiya, however, weren't that successful.

They'd have to run from quite a distance, relying on their momentum to propel them up rather than anything. Jiraiya kept injecting too much chakra into his feet, causing the tree bark to splinter, sending him crashing down. Each crash bought a colourful string of expletives, before he'd stand up and start again.

Orochimaru wasn't doing much better, though he had far more graceful landings then Jiraiya, flipping over mid-air to land on his feet. He'd also progressed about an inch or two more than Jiraiya, who seemed annoyed for some reason.

"Orochimaru-teme," Jiraiya growled, as Orochimaru passed his mark and leapt back down, smirking slightly.

"What?" Orochimaru challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"You think you're so _cool, _don't you," Jiraiya mocked, "I'll beat you, just you see!"

"Hmph," Orochimaru shrugged, scoffing slightly, "As if."

"Hell yeah!" Jiraiya was pumped, as he raced towards the tree.

He came careening down seconds later, landing at Orochimaru's feet.

Orochimaru smirked again, before leaping over him and running up the tree again. He would have passed Jiraiya's earlier mark if the latter hadn't grabbed the end of his yukata and yanked him down.

This time, it was Orochimaru who was yelling expletives, and Jiraiya sniggered in his face, until Hiruzen had to separate the two boys, and tell them that Tsunade had _already _mastered tree-climbing, so if they didn't want to be beaten hollow by their kunoichi teammate, they better hurry up.

Tsunade felt supremely smug thereafter.

Chakra-control exercises continued for the next couple of days. A sombre mood had taken over Konoha due to the war, and Tsunade barely saw her grandmother anymore, for the lady was far too busy with strategic and political meetings. Though Hiruzen seemed grim, nothing seemed to dampen Jiraiya's spirits, and their training progressed, at a rather fast pace.

Water-walking came next, which was easy enough for her, though Orochimaru and Jiraiya broke into fights on the water surface (usually instigated by Jiraiya) and ended up falling in, drenching themselves, and her as well.

"Orochimaru, please," Hiruzen was forced to intervene one time, "I cannot let you drown your teammate. That reflects badly on teamwork."

Jiraiya's hands could be seen flailing above the water surface, as Orochimaru crouched on the lake, calmly holding the white head down.

"But sensei," Orochimaru protested politely, "He tried the same thing on me just two minutes ago. Ask Tsunade-chan if you don't believe me."

"He did," Tsunade admitted, "But he didn't _actually _succeed."

"It's not my fault he's weaker than I am," Orochimaru sniffed, looking away.

"OROCHIMARU-TEME!" Jiraiya raged, when he finally emerged, dripping wet, "I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT!"

/\/\/\/\/\

"Obaa-san!" Tsunade cried one morning, when they reached the Hokage's office to find Mito Senju seated there, reading an enormous scroll.

"Tsunade-chan," Mito greeted wearily, and Tsunade noticed she looked extremely tired.

There were lines under her face, an odd sight, because despite that fact that her grandmother was over fifty, she never appeared more than thirty. The same could be said for her grandfather and grand-uncle; Tsunade admired that about them.

Mito then nodded at Orochimaru and Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya-kun, Orochimaru-kun," she said, "I suppose you have come for your first mission?"

"Why are _you _in the Hokage's seat?" Jiraiya asked, rather impudently.

Hiruzen shot him a disapproving look, but he was unfazed.

"Hokage-sama is out fighting the war. I am filling in for him with administrative duties in the meanwhile," Mito said, frowning.

Tsunade knew her grandmother probably wanted to fight; she'd told her that a night or two ago during dinner, when Tsunade had finally gotten a chance to meet her amidst all of her _other _meetings.

"Mito-sama, they have come for their first mission," Hiruzen said.

"Indeed," Mito nodded, picking up a scroll, and holding it out, "Team Seven, your first mission will be a D-rank mission. Your job is to capture a missing cat. A description of the cat and its details are given on the scroll. You have a time limit of two hours to complete this mission."

"..."

"..."

Tsunade and Orochimaru were both silent, feeling rather let down. Jiraiya, however, had never been one to keep quiet.

"What?" he screeched in indignation, "We're not animal-sitters! We're ninja! We want a proper _mission, _not some lost pet retrieval!"

Mito narrowed her eyes, and Orochimaru swiftly stepped in, taking the scroll.

"Thank you," he said softly, "We will not disappoint you."

"Jiraiya," Hiruzen chastised under his breath, "That was most insolent! Why can you not behave more like Orochimaru?"

"What, like that suck-up?" Jiraiya rolled his eyes, "Please. He can go find as many lost kittens as he wants to. I want _real _missions."

"Jiraiya-kun," Mito interrupted, and Tsunade noticed she seemed somewhat amused, "There are no _real _missions right now, except war-missions and those are all A and S-ranked which are far beyond your abilities. We're at war right now, so all escort missions have been withdrawn. D-ranks like this are your only choice."

"Meh, fine," Jiraiya grumbled, attempting to wrest the scroll away from Orochimaru who pocketed it just in time.

"You three may go," Mito dismissed them, "But Hiruzen, please stay back."

She sounded tense, and Tsunade wondered why.

"Bye, Obaa-san," she called before leaving, and Mito nodded at her.

"Finding lost cats," Jiraiya mumbled, "Ridiculous!"

As soon as they were out of earshot, both Orochimaru and Tsunade rounded on him.

"Stop being such an imbecile!" Tsunade shrieked, "Demanding missions like that! You're embarrassing us!"

"Act your age, for once," Orochimaru said haughtily, "And don't forget we're at war. These are the only possible missions for us."

"I'm only seven, you know," Jiraiya pointed out.

"Then don't act like you're three," Orochimaru retorted.

"Teme!" Jiraiya yelled.

/\/\/\/\/\

Finding the cat was what took the longest, but finally Orochimaru spotted it near some bushes. Jiraiya pounced on it, but it scratched him in the face. Tsunade followed up by trapping it in a ring of kunai, and Orochimaru managed to catch it soon after.

The creature wriggled and spat in Orochimaru's arms, and the boy looked mildly revolted. Jiraiya was glaring at the creature rather venomously, nursing his scratches, but they returned the cat to its owner, fulfilling their first ever mission.

When they went to the Hokage's office, Hiruzen was there, clad in his Jounin vest, along with five other shinobi. Tsunade recognized one of them as Torifu Akimichi-san, Tobirama ojii-san's student and Hiruzen-sensei's teammate. He was also Kasumi's Jounin instructor.

Mito was there as well, looking exceptionally harried, and there was a general sense of agitation in the room.

"Hokage-sama," Orochimaru spoke up politely, "Hiruzen-sensei."

They both looked at the trio sharply, and Tsunade suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if something was about to go terribly wrong.

"We – completed the mission," Tsunade said hesitatingly, looking questioningly at her grandmother, and then at her teacher.

"Good," was all Mito said, her fingers rubbing at her temples.

"Good," Hiruzen echoed, though he looked rather preoccupied.

Everyone did, in fact.

"What's wrong?" Jiraiya finally asked, "I mean, I know the mission was crap, but it _was_ our first successful mission. You could at least act a little happier, sensei!"

"I'm leaving tonight," Hiruzen suddenly announced, turning to his three Genin, "I'm being deployed on an S-rank mission to the front lines."

"What?" Jiraiya exclaimed tactlessly, "Why?"

"A war mission, you dolt," Tsunade whispered, elbowing him.

"We – understand, sensei," Orochimaru said.

"Yeah," Jiraiya nodded, cottoning on, "Yeah, we do. Good luck on that. Don't die on us."

This time both Tsunade and Orochimaru jabbed Jiraiya in the side.

"Ow!" Jiraiya yelped, "Freaks."

"I should be back in two weeks," Hiruzen said, grimacing, "I'm sorry I have to leave you in the middle of your training like this, but I'm sure you can manage D-ranks well enough without me."

"Don't worry, sensei," Tsunade assured him, despite the sinking feeling in her stomach, "We'll handle them just fine!"

"Yep," Jiraiya nodded enthusiastically, "Lost cats don't stand a chance against Tsunade-chan, Orochimaru-teme and me!"

/\/\/\/\/\

Hiruzen-sensei and the others left that night. Tsunade didn't know why, but seeing him go made something churn in her stomach, like things would go terribly wrong. She didn't know much about the progress of the war; her grandmother wouldn't tell her, and she was too scared to listen to random villager gossip about it. Civilians tended to exaggerate.

Her parents hadn't come back, and nor had her grandfather or grand-uncle. Her sensei had left, and Mito was perpetually busy with one thing or another. Tsunade had abundant D-rank missions to keep busy, but other than Jiraiya's asinine antics, these were quite tedious and boring as well.

Two weeks passed that way, and she spent most of her time with her teammates. Tsunade often found that Jiraiya's lame jokes and obnoxious comments weren't so bad when they helped take her mind off of war for even a few seconds. Orochimaru was steadily showing more and more emotion, especially aggravation around Jiraiya, though he got along amicably enough with her. Tsunade also spent some time with Kasumi and her teammates. Akako Uchiha was less hostile towards her; he seemed to have lost some of his arrogance after his clan leader Madara's defeat. A lot of his relatives and family had been deployed to fight as well.

Even after two weeks, Hiruzen didn't return, and things started going downhill. There were food cuts and rations in the village, something which annoyed Jiraiya greatly. There was an increase in civilian thefts and petty crimes, since there were no ANBU or shinobi around to guard the village, all of them having been deployed to fight the war. This lead to an early curfew which Mito imposed on Tsunade; she had to be back at the Hokage Tower by six.

Every now and then they would receive news that shinobi had lost their lives in battle. Both of Sakumo Hatake's parents died, as well as Hikari Hyuuga's father and many others. Tsunade always waited with bated breath when the telegrams came, dreading that one of them would have her mother's name, or her father's. Fortunately, that didn't happen, though months passed without a word.

Then suddenly, one day when she, Jiraiya and Orochimaru had been walking along the main road, Tsunade saw her grandmother, Mito, looking pale and extremely worried, jumping along the rooftops with great speed, accompanied by two ANBU.

Tsunade didn't get a chance to speak to her. Though she wondered why Mito suddenly left the village, _how _she even managed considering Hashirama had placed a jutsu to keep her safe inside it – she never quite realised what could have happened.

Three hours later Mito Senju returned, with Tobirama, Tsunade's parents and two ANBU bearing a large box covered in white cloth.

That's when Tsunade learnt that her grandfather, Hashirama Senju, the Hokage of Konoha – had been killed during the war.

Konoha was in mourning after that; or would have been, if three-fourths of its shinobi population wasn't out fighting the war. Tsunade's parents were distraught, Mito was inconsolable and had apparently fainted from shock after she was unable to heal him, and Tsunade herself broke down into tears.

"We're sorry, Tsunade-hime," Orochimaru had told her, as Jiraiya patted her back awkwardly, and the name only made her cry harder.

It was the first time Orochimaru had addressed her that way, but all the villagers used to because of her grandfather.

Hashirama Senju had been a great man; not just as Hokage, but to Tsunade, as her grandfather too. He was always full of kind words, gentle pats on her head and encouragement. He had often spoken to Tsunade about 'the will of fire' which he believed lived in all the villagers and shinobi, giving them inner strength so they could fight for Konoha. He _had _fought for Konoha, and Tsunade had seen him with his Mokuton, and she had known how powerful he was. But he'd been more to her than just that; he'd told her stories at night, and he'd helped her with academy homework when her parents were out, no matter how much paperwork he had. As Hokage, he was loved to the village, but to Tsunade he was so much more.

Tsunade bawled her lungs out for almost the entire funeral, clutching to her parents. Jiraiya and Orochimaru stood by her as well, rather awkwardly, in their black yukatas. Her grandmother Mito tried to keep a brave face, but Tsunade had seen her crying at night later on.

Tobirama himself had become uncharacteristically somber. He was no longer as jocular and carefree as before, and though Tsunade hadn't seen him crying, he seemed the worse off other than Mito after his brother Hashirama's death.

Tsunade learnt that he'd been made Hokage in Hashirama's place, but there was no celebration or formal induction. They were at war, Hashirama had just died along with many other shinobi, and there was no time for that. He didn't even don the traditional Hokage attire (he'd always jokingly mocked Hashirama when he had worn it) though Tsunade noticed he'd taken to wearing Hashirama's crystal necklace.

He barely stayed in the village though. Just a day after his induction (which was two days after Hashirama's funeral) he had been deployed on the front-lines again. The war raged on, and Tobirama had told a tearful Tsunade and morose Mito that his team badly needed him. He'd hugged Mito good-bye, given Tsunade a gruff kiss on the cheek and ruffled her head, before leaving, just like that, all over again.

Nearly six months passed, and Tsunade continued to train with her teammates, without a sensei, as most of the Genin did. She didn't know much about the war other than the fact that it happened. The village was in a tense situation, and her grandmother never told her what was happening, apologetically saying the information was classified. Tsunade would hear more and more talk about 'tailed beasts'.

She and Orochimaru asked their academy sensei about these, as well as an ANBU, but they never got an answer, just stern warnings to stay away from the subject. Jiraiya never really bothered about the topic either way.

Tsunade's parents were deployed every now and then as well, leaving her and Mito alone for weeks on end. The Hokage Tower and Senju household was eerily empty. Tsunade sometimes called Orochimaru and Jiraiya home for lunch and dinner, to fill the loneliness. Mito didn't seem to mind their company when she was there, though she usually wasn't around at all.

Finally, after over a year of tense waiting, they received news that the first shinobi world war had finally come to an end. Peace had been achieved, but at a high cost.

When the troops and ANBU squads started pouring in, along with Hiruzen-sensei and his team, they learnt that their second Hokage, Tobirama-sama was dead as well.

/\/\/\/\/\

_Author's Note – End of chapter 2. _

_Yes, I know Orochimaru's not quite the creepy insolent traitor yet. He'll develop, don't worry. He was apparently all goody-goody before, and Hiruzen loved him and wanted him as Hokage, so yeah._

_Thank you __**addster, ninjapirate **__and a nameless reviewer for reviewing! _

_Please review! _


	3. A New Hokage

_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto_

_A/N – Next installment is here. Thanks to __**secretsofgray **__and __**Soraya the All Speaker**__ for reviewing! _

/\/\/\/\/\

"S'alright, don't cry," Jiraiya mumbled, patting Tsunade's back awkwardly, "I mean, he died and battle and stuff. That's pretty – uh – honorable – for a ninja."

Tsunade said nothing, staring blankly at the black, cloth-covered box as it was lowered into the ground, a large gray stone marking its place. The stone was engraved, with the symbol of the Hidden Leaf, and the words:

_Tobirama Senju_

_Nidame Hokage_

_The Master of Water and Saviour of Konoha_

Right next to it lay a twin stone, which had been placed there before:

_Hashirama Senju_

_Shodai Hokage_

_Master of the Trees and Father of Konoha_

Tears streamed down her wide amber eyes, but Tsunade remained silent, quietly mourning a death which had wracked the heart of most of Konoha.

"Least your parents are okay," Jiraiya rambled on in his best attempts to comfort her, "Sakumo's passed away, I heard. And so did Hikari Hyuuga's dad and some of them Uchiha... and honestly, he's in a better place now... so you should stop crying so much and – yeah..."

Tsunade's lips lifted, ever so slightly at this comment; it was, partially true in the fact that Tobirama _never _wanted to be Hokage. At least _now _he was spared the paperwork... still, it would be better having a great-uncle grumbling about paperwork than one that was dead.

Tsunade broke down into a fresh wave of tears at the memory, and Orochimaru glared subtly at Jiraiya, who just shrugged, looking bewildered.

"You say something!" Jiraiya mouthed furiously, but Orochimaru shook his head.

"I think we should just leave her alone," he mouthed back.

They didn't though, and Tsunade was still distraught.

"I – I can understand how you feel, Tsunade-hime," Orochimaru ventured, "Both my parents died when I was four."

Tsunade looked at him, briefly, with watery eyes, a little surprised at the news. Orochimaru had never revealed anything about being an orphan. He'd never said anything about his personal life. She felt a wave of sympathy towards him, forgetting her own sorrow for a moment.

"Wait, if both your parents are dead, where do you live?" Jiraiya exclaimed tactlessly.

"Jiraiya!" Tsunade hissed, alarmed, but Orochimaru just shrugged, unaffected.

"Orphanage," he said tonelessly as if it didn't bother him, "Been living there for four years now."

"Oh – is it nice there?" Jiraiya asked uncertainly, and Tsunade elbowed him hard.

"Ow – hey!" Jiraiya glared at her.

"It's boring," Orochimaru supplied dully, before turning away, looking troubled.

Tsunade immediately resolved to invite him over for meals more often. Jiraiya seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"Hey, if you want you can move in with me!" he suggested brightly, "I mean, you're a prick, but my parents won't mind too much..."

"No thanks, I'm good," Orochimaru said immediately, though the dark expression in his eyes lifted.

Tsunade found the funeral and burial ceremony a tiny bit less depressing – though depressing nonetheless – with her teammates by her side.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Hey, I wonder whose gonna be Hokage now," Jiraiya piped up after the formalities were over, and the trio were heading home (Tsunade's parents and Mito were still at the burial site, so she opted to go with her teammates instead).

Somehow the somber mood couldn't dispel Jiraiya's usual perkiness for long.

"Haven't you guessed?" Tsunade asked, rolling her eyes.

"You mean _you _know!" Jiraiya almost screeched, "How? How could you know?"

"How could you _not _know?" Tsunade shot back.

"Well excuse me for _not _being the Nidaime's grand- sorry," Jiraiya hastily corrected his slip-up after a sharp poke in the ribs from Orochimaru, "I meant – well _you _always have inside information on this stuff because of your – um – parents!"

Tsunade decided to ignore the accidental mention of her (deceased) family and didn't bother replying.

"It _is _rather obvious, you know," Orochimaru said.

"What? _You _know who the new Hokage is too!" Jiraiya was indignant, and rounded on Tsunade, "How could you tell _him _and not me? Huh, Tsunade-chan?"

"I didn't _tell _him," Tsunade said exasperatedly, exchanging a look with Orochimaru, "He's just smart enough to figure it out. Honestly, you should have as well."

"Who is it?" Jiraiya whined, "I _want _to know!"

"Here's a hint," Tsunade said, "You've already met him."

"I have! Really?" Jiraiya seemed excited by this prospect.

"We all have," Orochimaru sounded amused, "On a daily basis at one point of time-"

"Till he was deployed for the war," Tsunade added.

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, pondering this.

"Oh, come on!" Tsunade whacked him on the head, "Tall, with a goatee..."

"Summons monkeys," Orochimaru supplied.

"OH KAMI-SAMA!" Jiraiya clutched at his heart, eyes flashing in recognition, "SARU-SENSEI IS GETTING HOKAGE?"

"Congratulations on finally realizing, Jiraiya-baka," Tsunade said sarcastically.

"I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS! I TOLD YOU OUR SENSEI WAS THE COOLEST! I DID AT THE ACADEMY, DIDN'T I? HAHAHAHA!"

/\/\/\/\/\

Jiraiya basked in Hiruzen's reflected glory for as long as he could, many a time annoying Akako Uchiha by gloating about how "my sensei kicks your sensei's _ass_, man!"

Of course, following Jiraiya's skewed logic, this also proved that he, Tsunade and Orochimaru were undoubtedly the _best _of the graduated Genin since they had obviously been given a sensei who was Hokage-in-training for a _reason_.

"Maybe they just thought morons like _you _would need extra help!" Akako Uchiha snapped at him once, "Or maybe it was just blatant _favouritism _since you have _Princess _Tsunade on your team."

His voice took a bitter note at this, and Jiraiya glowed, though Tsunade was scowling.

"Meh, you're just jealous," he said casually, waving his hand, leaving the Uchiha boy fuming behind him.

Tsunade and Orochimaru were slightly less ebullient (and far more modest) about the news; they'd guessed it all along, though they had congratulated their sensei even before the news had been officially revealed.

"Thank you," Hiruzen had said grimly, "And I do hope I live up to it, and fulfil _my _sensei's last wish."

Tsunade grew quiet after this, so he had quickly changed the course of their conversation, and inquired about their training.

The Hokage induction ceremony was in a week, after the village had buried and mourned their dead in peace. In the meantime, Hiruzen took the opportunity to train his three Genin rather rigorously, as if making up for the time he had missed with them when fighting the war.

They were usually at the grounds by seven, and other than an hour-long break for lunch, Hiruzen didn't let them out until seven in the evening, for dinner.

Their basics were down pretty well, so he started teaching them elemental manipulation and weapon usage. He taught them individually as well, focusing on their specific strengths and weaknesses. Tsunade was being made to work extra-hard on her taijutsu and chakra control. She found the exercises rather stultifying: she spent hours with her index finger on a leaf, trying to split it in half with chakra only. When she finally managed that, Hiruzen made her do the same exercise on a ball of mud, until it cracked, and then a rock.

Jiraiya was being made to meditate quite often, something which both Orochimaru and Tsunade found funny and required: the boy was hyperactive and loud, and it almost seemed impossible that he would meditate in peace. They wondered what Jiraiya hoped to achieve out of it since there was no way he would indulge in the activity so willingly (and quietly) if he didn't hope to learn some awesome jutsu at the end of it.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, was rather versatile with jutsu of all elemental types. His taijutsu was extremely good, his speed and stamina were high, and instead of focusing on just one particular jutsu or type, like Jiraiya and Tsunade, Hiruzen was helping him learn as many elemental jutsu as possible, which was, of course, Orochimaru's ambition on the first place.

He also made them spar; amongst themselves, and with him. Usually, Hiruzen had to supervise the spars himself. Though Tsunade and Orochimaru fought properly, when Jiraiya was paired with either, it inevitably led to disaster. Tsunade and Jiraiya often ended up accidentally touching one another, which led to screeching accusations of 'pervert' and violent un-ninja-like scuffles which ended in a fuming Tsunade and an injured Jiraiya, clutching at a swollen eye or bleeding lip. When Orochimaru and Jiraiya fought, the result was similar, except for the fact that they would both be injured (Orochimaru to a lesser degree than Jiraiya) and there was less screeching and shrieking, but more cursing and shouting. The profanities were worse when Jiraiya and Orochimaru were involved as well, some of them rather creative.

The day before Hiruzen's induction, he let his exhausted Genin off an hour early; he had an important meeting with Mito and all the clan-heads to attend.

"What're you meeting them _now _for?" Jiraiya asked, nursing a bruised cheek, "We're not at war and you're already Hokage!"

"The selection of the advisory council," Hiruzen replied.

"The what?" Jiraiya scrunched his nose.

"Two or three members will be chosen as my advisors, to help me make political decisions regarding the governing of this village," Hiruzen explained.

"Oh, that'll be good, right?" Jiraiya asked cheerfully, "People to help do your work for you, so you'll have less of it, and more time to spend teaching us!"

"I suppose – it would be beneficial," Hiruzen nodded, though he sounded unsure, "I'll see you three at the induction tomorrow?"

"Yeah, good luck with your speech, sensei!" Tsunade called.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Training was tough, today," Jiraiya commented.

"Hn," Orochimaru replied neutrally.

"Of course, that could partially be because _some people _felt the need to _cheat," _Jiraiya went on, shooting a nasty look at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru scowled.

"Using ninja tools in a _ninja _fight does _not _count as cheating," he retorted, his voice even.

"It does if you're fighting an all-taijutsu match!"

"Don't tell me you _still _don't know that taijutsu _includes _weaponry, meaning my kodachi was perfectly-"

"You can shove that kodachi right _up yours_, Oro-teme!"

"Believe I already did, but to _you, _Jiraiya-baka!"

"HA! YEAH RIGHT YOU GIRLY-"

"Will you both _shut _it!" Tsunade snapped, "I'm trying to _concentrate_!"

"Concentrate on what?" Jiraiya shot back, "Hey, what're you doing?"

Tsunade glared at him, returning to her task. She was holding a rather large stone in one hand, the index finger of the other hand pressing into it.

"Don't _disturb _me!" Tsunade hissed, as they walked along.

"She's been doing that for two hours," Orochimaru observed.

Tsunade ignored him, urging her chakra along her index finger – just a bit more – she could feel the stone weakening...

"But _why_?" Jiraiya asked, "It looks pretty pointless to me – she could just slam it open with a kunai or something-"

Tsunade ignored him too – concentrate, _concentrate!_

CRACK!

Suddenly, the heavy stone split into multiple fragments that clattered to the ground.

"Yes!" Tsunade pumped her fist jubilantly, "Got it!"

"Got what?" Jiraiya pulled a face, "You broke a stone, so?"

"Hey, _you _try breaking a stone with just one _finger_!" Tsunade rounded on him.

"Why on earth would I _want _to?"

"It improves chakra control," Tsunade said in an all-knowing voice, "And if I keep going, Hiruzen-sensei says I'll be able to cause cracks in the ground with one punch of my fist one day!"

"Tch, yeah, riiight," Jiraiya laughed, "As if a scrawny little _girl _could ever-"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Tsunade shrieked, grabbing the collar of his yukata.

"Nothing, nothing!" Jiraiya waved his hands.

"Want me to try that chakra trick on _you_?" Tsunade asked threateningly, "I'll bet your bones are easier to break than a rock!"

"Just let him be, Tsunade-hime," Orochimaru said lazily, "And Jiraiya, just shut up for once."

Tsunade eventually did let him go, and Jiraiya glowered at her.

"Only reason I didn't hit back is 'cause you're a _girl,_" he muttered, "And my dad says you should always be respectful to women-"

"One day, a female kunoichi is going to have you _sooo _bad-" Tsunade said.

"Ha! As if!" Jiraiya proclaimed, "As if any stupid _girl _could ever have _anything _on the great Jiraiya-"

"I'll punch you all the way to Suna the moment I get my chakra-punching skills right," Tsunade vowed.

"Bet you'll _never _be able to do that!"

"I don't _bet, _Jiraiya, I _told _you-"

"Geez, it's just a phrase, you don't need to be so _snobby _about it, _Princess_-"

This time it was Orochimaru who stopped their bickering, by pointing at something in the distance. The tall mountain that bordered the village to be exact. A group of shinobi could be seen standing on the mountainside, with what looked like large kunai and other tools.

"What do you think they're doing?" he asked.

"Oh! I know," Tsunade replied, "Mito-obaa-san told me last night!"

"Show-off," Jiraiya muttered under his breath.

"They're making a monument," Tsunade said, "For – for Hashirama-ojii-san and Tobirama-ojii-san …"

Her voice wavered slightly.

"What kind of monument?" Orochimaru asked quickly.

"I'm not sure, but obaa-san said something about carving their faces onto the mountain," Tsunade said.

"Wow! That'd be pretty cool, you know, having your face on a mountain for the whole village to see!" Jiraiya exclaimed, "Think they'll do it for every Hokage? I wouldn't mind having _mine _done!"

"No shinobi in his right mind would ever elect _you _as Hokage," Orochimaru cut in.

"Why not?" Jiraiya demanded, "I'm Saru-sensei's student! And better me than _you_!"

Orochimaru narrowed his green eyes.

"Or Tsunade," Jiraiya added as an afterthought.

"Hey, I don't even _want _it, don't bring me into this," Tsunade said quickly.

"Hiruzen-sensei would _surely _choose me over you," Orochimaru said confidently.

"Yeah, yeah, and I'm a giant toad," Jiraiya dismissed him.

"From a certain angle, you _do _resemble-"

"Shut up, you freak!"

/\/\/\/\/\

The next day, Jiraiya and Orochimaru arrived an hour early for the induction ceremony, to get good seats. They managed to get them in the front row, along with Tsunade and her family, which was lucky. The front few rows were all reserved: for Senju, Uchiha, Hyuuga, and clan heads of the most prominent clans of Konoha.

Hiruzen had made the three of them (particularly Jiraiya) promise to _behave_, before the ceremony, and they had solemnly nodded and agreed to this, though Jiraiya had demanded a celebratory lunch thereafter. Hiruzen had smiled, and agreed to that, so everything was in order.

The ceremony began, and went on flawlessly. When Hiruzen emerged in his long robes wearing the white and red Hokage hat, a deafening cheer went up in the audience. Even Orochimaru was clapping loudly, while Tsunade and Jiraiya both shouted at the top of their lungs, "GO SARU-SENSEI!"

It was the first time they'd called him by the nickname in public; some of the Sarutobi clan members seemed rather amused by it, though a young woman with light purple hair tied in a tight bun scowled.

"The hat is silly," Jiraiya snickered, but Tsunade shut him up with a glare.

The speech went off well (with much unnecessary hooting and cheering from Jiraiya which caused several Uchiha, as well as the purple-haired woman to shoot him dirty looks, not that he minded).

"Finally, I'd like to introduce my Advisory Board," Hiruzen announced.

"Oh yeah, he was telling us about them yesterday," Jiraiya muttered.

"First and foremost, we have Hideiki Senju-san, son of late Hokage Hashirama Senju-sama and Mito Senju-sama!"

There was a roar of applause at this, as the red-haired, well-built man walked onto stage.

"Tou-san!" Tsunade gasped, "I didn't know father was getting a position!"

The applause died down, and Tsunade noticed that the Uchiha clan members hadn't been clapping too enthusiastically at her father's name.

"Next, we have Koharu Utatane-san, disciple of late Hokage Tobirama Senju-sama," Hiruzen continued.

There was applause at this, though it was scattered. The stern-faced lady with light-purple hair in a bun walked up, and bowed slightly.

"And last, but not least, the other disciple of Tobirama-sensei, Homura Mitokado-san!"

A sharp-featured man with spiky dark brown hair and glasses walked up and bowed stiffly, before joining Koharu at Hiruzen's side.

"I've seen them, they're sensei's teammates," Tsunade told Jiraiya and Orochimaru.

"Duh, if their Tobirama-sama's students, 'course they are," Jiraiya said, displaying a rare perceptiveness.

/\/\/\/\/\

After the ceremony was over, Jiraiya dragged his teammates to the new Hokage immediately, demanding a lunch. This seemed to shock some of the clan-heads who had come to wish the new Hokage, but Hiruzen just smiled.

"Be patient, Jiraiya-kun," he said, "Why don't you, Orochimaru-kun and Tsunade-chan head on to the new ramen place? I'll meet you there in thirty minutes?"

"Fine, but _hurry up_!" Jiraiya said petulantly.

"Nice speech, sensei," Orochimaru said.

"Yeah, did you hear us cheering?" Tsunade asked.

"I said _thirty minutes, _Jiraiya-kun, thank you, Oro-kun, and I most certainly did, and appreciated it, princess. Now run along, you three. I have people to meet," Hiruzen said, eyes twinkling under the wide rim of his hat.

Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru set off, feeling rather important considering they were _students _of the new Hokage.

"Hey! Hey, Tsunade-chan!" a voice called.

"Kasumi-chan!" Tsunade greeted her friend, "I haven't seen you in so long!"

"Yes, I've been training with my team," Kasumi said breathlessly, pushing her auburn bangs away, "How's your training going?"

"Good," Tsunade replied, "It's really tiring actually. I'm with my team most of the time too, which is why I guess we don't see each other much anymore."

"Yeah," Kasumi nodded fervently, "My sensei works us hard. You know he's really good friends with _your _sensei, the new Hokage!"

"I suppose you three must be proud," a low voice cut in, "It must be pretty cool having the Hokage as your sensei."

"Sakumo-kun!" Kasumi squealed, "Hi!"

"Hey," Sakumo nodded at her.

"Heck yeah, it's _awesome_!" Jiraiya yelled in reply to Sakumo's statement.

"You three entering the Chuunin exams?" Sakumo drawled.

"The Chuunin Exams?" Tsunade asked, "Aren't those still a few months from now?"

"Yeah, but haven't you decided if you're entering or not? My team is," Sakumo said, "Mitarashi-sensei just told us yesterday that she's going to enter us."

"Hiruzen-sensei was probably busy with Hokage duties, but I'm sure he'll tell us soon," Jiraiya said, puffing out his chest.

"No wonder he's been working us so hard!" Tsunade murmured to Orochimaru, who nodded.

Sensei _had _been extra rough on them during training; if he was gearing them up for the exams, it made sense.

Tsunade felt a swoop of excitement in her stomach at the prospect of becoming Chuunin – along with a tinge of nervousness.

"Our sensei hasn't told us yet, though I'm sure Akako will want to enter," Kasumi said, "He's really good, too. He's can blow fireballs, you know!"

"All Uchiha are taught that jutsu at the age of six," Tsunade said dismissively, "No big deal."

"Though I guess Shinji will find it all too much of a bother," Kasumi went on, "You know he fell _asleep _when sensei was explaining the Kawarimi jutsu to us!"

"Hey! Guys!" another voice announced its arrival.

"Hi, Dan-kun!" Tsunade greeted the blue-haired boy.

He was accompanied by a girl with white eyes and long, straight black hair; his teammate, Hikari Hyuuga.

"Hey, Hikari-chan!" Kasumi said excitedly, "Dan, hi! Guess what, Sakumo-kun's team is being entered in the Chuunin Exam a few months from now! What about yours?"

"I'm not too sure," Hikari said, "Sensei's not mentioned it yet."

"It'd be awesome entering though," Dan said wistfully, "My older sister made Chuunin two years ago, and she's been rubbing it in my face ever since... I hope we're entered!"

"I'm sure Saru-sensei will enter us, you know, the moment all his _important Hokage _work is done," Jiraiya said again, puffing his chest out.

"Oh yes, congratulations on that," Dan said, looking impressed, "You three must be proud."

"WE ARE!" Jiraiya practically shouted, speaking for all of them.

"Tsunade-hime, Jiraiya, come _on,_" Orochimaru said softly, "Sensei told us to go to the ramen place. Let's get a table."

"Oh, alright," Tsunade smiled, "Bye guys! We'll catch up later!"

"Yeah, our sensei, the _Hokage_, has invited us out to lunch!" Jiraiya said, beaming.

They walked off, Jiraiya still looking extremely important.

"I nearly forgot how quiet you really are around others, Oro-kun," Tsunade told her green-eyed teammate.

"Yeah, you actually talk around me and Tsunade-chan!" Jiraiya said, "Forgot that you're actually an asocial retard!"

"Shut it, moron," Orochimaru replied, and they bickered the rest of the way to the restaurant.

/\/\/\/\/\

When Hiruzen-sensei, the new Sandaime Hokage joined them for lunch, he wasn't alone. There was a woman with long, light brown hair, wearing similar robes to his own.

"Who's she?" Jiraiya asked, rather impudently, ramen noodles dangling from his mouth.

"Manners, Jiraiya-kun," Hiruzen scolded gently, "This is my wife, Biwako. Biwako-chan, this is Orochimaru-kun, Tsunade-chan, and of course, Jiraiya," he introduced, gesturing to them in turn.

"Hello, Biwako-san," Orochimaru and Tsunade greeted politely.

"Yeah, hi," Jiraiya added, gulping down his noodles, before turning to sensei.

"You didn't tell us you got married!" he said, almost accusingly.

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.

"I wasn't aware my personal life was your business, Jiraiya-kun..."

Biwako, however, laughed, before greeting the three of them.

"Nice to meet you," she said pleasantly, "Of course, I've heard so much about you from Hiruzen, but it's good to finally meet you three in person!"

/\/\/\/\/\

"Sensei," Orochimaru said after awhile (Biwako had left the team to their meal after a few minutes).

"Yes, Oro-kun?" Hiruzen asked.

"Some of the students were talking about the Chuunin Exams taking place, and I was wondering if you were going to enter us."

Hiruzen chuckled.

"As a matter of fact, I was. I was going to tell you about it right now, if you hadn't bought it up yourself! It was decided yesterday evening, but I wasn't able to meet you since I had my Hokage ceremony preparations."

"So we're entering?" Jiraiya looked thrilled, "AWESOME!"

"That's why you've been training us so hard, right?" Tsunade asked.

"Tsunade-chan, if you thought _that _was hard, you have no idea what I have in store for you the next couple of weeks," Hiruzen said, "Anyways, eat your ramen, it's getting cold. You'll need the strength, starting tomorrow…"

/\/\/\/\/\

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hokage of Konoha, was true to his word when he said training would get tougher. The next few months were practically hell. Tsunade, Orochimaru and Jiraiya would start training at six, and not stop till as late as seven or eight, and a few times, even nine o clock at night. They were usually on the verge of collapsing from utter exhaustion.

Of course, the progress was easily visible. Tsunade's chakra control and strength increased exponentially. After two weeks she could lift enormous boulders with her bare hands (Jiraiya nearly had a heart attack when he saw that). After a month she could punch small craters into the ground. Orochimaru's mastery of jutsu kept expanding, and he had control over all the elements, though he was weakest with wind. Jiraiya, on the other hand, continued with his meditation. Tsunade and Orochimaru didn't see what he was learning, but it seemed like it was something important, though he wouldn't tell them, preferring to keep it a surprise.

They had missions as well, amidst the hectic training schedules; these were mainly D-rank, though they finished these as soon (and as creatively) as possible. Their sensei preferred they used jutsus and skills to complete the tasks than pure manual labor, making them training sessions as well.

Leaves couldn't be raked with rakes; Tsunade would use her super strength to punch a small crater in the ground, Orochimaru would use his improving wind jutsu to funnel all the leaves into the hole, and then Jiraiya would belch flames out of his mouth and incinerate the entire lot.

Similarly, when their team was given the job of helping the workers chiseling the Hokage faces into the mountain (which was now going by the name of Hokage Mountain), Hiruzen didn't allow them to stand on the scaffolding that had been erected. Instead, they had to use chakra, sticking to the rock in whatever position possible. Sometimes this was difficult, for example when Jiraiya had to chisel the underside of Hashirama Senju's nose. The whole process had to be done with him leaning down the bridge of the nose, sticking to the rock with chakra he directed to his thighs, stomach and chest. It was _not _an easy task, especially when he had to maintain this position for two hours.

De-weeding gardens was no easy task either. Instead of pulling the weeds up by hand, they stood at the fence and aimed at the tiny plants with shuriken to help with target practice. It wasn't easy hitting a small weed nestled among all the grass, so it increased their accuracy greatly after a day or two. And if they accidentally hacked off a few blades of grass, Hiruzen would have them doing sit-ups or push-ups, with one of Enma's monkey-relatives on their stomach or back.

Indeed, even the laughable D-rank missions were tough when attempted the way Team Hiruzen did them. Of course, as Hokage, the village had very high expectations of the team. Hiruzen himself wanted all three of them passing the Chuunin Exam on their first shot, something unlikely which had never occurred in the history of Konoha.

When they finally landed a couple C-rank missions, they were delighted. These were mainly escort missions, and since they were facing post-war peace, they were uneventful, other than the time Jiraiya almost got food-poisoning when he accidentally ate a mushroom that was _not _meant to be eaten. Most of the injuries that occurred during these missions were as a result of intermittent Orochimaru-Jiraiya scuffles, or Jiraiya managing to annoy Tsunade into punching him.

It was fortunate that Tsunade liked Jiraiya, at least as a teammate. She barely injected one twentieth of her force into the punches.

There was some time for bonding and celebration amidst the packed training and mission schedules. Jiraiya and Orochimaru dined at Tsunade's house at least twice or thrice a week. Her parents approved of both of them; her mother favored Orochimaru who she thought was a perfect, polite little boy, though her father loved Jiraiya's humor and his crazy jokes. Once a week, even Hiruzen would join the dinners, usually on Sundays, along with his wife Biwako. The Sarutobi family had moved into the Hokage Monument, which was pretty much connected to the Senju household, so they were almost like extended family. Mito knew Biwako very well too.

There was also a large celebration at the Uchiha Compound, after the wife of new clan head gave birth to a child. Pretty much every single shinobi family in the village was invited to celebrate baby Fugaku Uchiha's birth. This included the Senju, to Tsunade's surprise – apparently the Uchiha were trying to mend bridges… or maybe they felt it would be too rude if they left out one of the prominent clans, though there weren't many Senju left… perhaps it was due to the Senju's proximity with the Sarutobi family.

All the same, Tsunade found herself in the enormous and lavishly decorated courtyard of the Uchiha compound, wearing a stiff pink kimono, her scruffy ponytail tamed into a bun. She'd been disappointed that Orochimaru and Jiraiya weren't invited. Orochimaru was an orphan, and Jiraiya's parents weren't of a prominent clan, so the rather parochial Uchiha overlooked them.

She did, however, have Kasumi Kurama, Sakumo Hatake, Hikari Hyuuga and some of her other classmates (the Yamanaka, Nara and Akimichi children) for company. Dan's family hadn't been invited either.

All the Uchiha brats had been there, including Akako Uchiha who, upon seeing Tsunade, took great pleasure in telling her to 'get the hell out of _my _compound, witch'. Tsunade punched him and broke his jaw. Mito immediately healed it for him with her medical ninjutsu and glared at Tsunade, warning her to behave herself.

Akako Uchiha didn't dare saying anything to her after, though he glowered at her rather sulkily.

Tsunade got a long lecture from her grandmother, _and _mother after she got home, though her father found it hilarious and just slapped her on the back. Jiraiya found the story pretty funny as well, though the idea that Tsunade could break _his _face if he annoyed her too much seemed to scare him. She'd never done more than bruise him badly, but it was obvious she was more than capable.

Jiraiya did get injured on their next C-rank mission; this time they were attacked by bandits. The bandits were low-class ninja, not more than Chuunin, and the team had finished them off pretty well. Orochimaru was more or less unscathed. Tsunade was bruised during her taijutsu exchange with one of the bandits, and she'd landed a large welt on her forehead; still these were minor injuries, and creditable for their first mission when they were actually attacked, by ninja that outranked them. Jiraiya, unfortunately, was cut on the arm with a stray shuriken during the scuffle. It wasn't a deep gash, but it was bleeding profusely. Tsunade freaked out slightly at the sight of the wound, but Jiraiya just teased her for it, saying it was a small scratch, and she was being 'silly and girly'. Instead of punching him, Tsunade wrapped up the wound for him, her fingers trembling slightly.

"What, are you scared of blood or something?" Jiraiya asked.

"No!" Tsunade snapped, pulling on the bandage slightly harder than intended, making Jiraiya wince, "I just – don't like it. I wish I could heal you properly!"

"You'd have to learn medical ninjutsu for that," Orochimaru said.

"Tsunade-chan and medical ninjutsu?" Jiraiya looked dubious, "Don't you – um – need to be gentle for that – ouch! Hey!"

"What, you think I'm not gentle?" Tsunade growled.

"Of course you're not! You punch rocks apart, you freak! You're more likely to puncture the poor guy's lungs than heal the-eeeouch! See!" Jiraiya glared, nursing a bruised cheek, as Tsunade tended to his arm.

It was ironic really, how she bandaged him and hurt him at the same time.

"Actually, her chakra control is ideal for medical ninjutsu ," Hiruzen observed, "And Mito-sama is one of the best healers we have, so it's in her genes as well…"

"Really?" Tsunade looked delighted, "You mean, I could actually become a medical ninja? I've always wanted to…"

"You certainly could, but it would require a lot of training," Hiruzen said, "And right now, you're too young anyway. You can only start training for medical ninjutsu after you turn ten, which means you have about one and a half years to wait. In the meanwhile, I'd suggest working on your strength and chakra control. The latter will truly help if you are seriously considering pursuing medical ninjutsu."

Tsunade looked intrigued, gazing off rather dreamily, but Orochimaru interrupted her from her thoughts.

"You have to wait, remember," he said, "Chuunin Exams?"

"Orochimaru is quite right," Hiruzen said, "Right now, you need to focus on passing your exams. We'll discuss medical ninjutsu later."

"Alright," Tsunade sighed, though she was brimming with anticipation.

She simply had to pass the upcoming exams – and live up to the name of Senju and Sarutobi both!

/\/\/\/\/\

_A/N – Thanks for reading, and please PLEASE review =) pretty please? (Favoriters, I mean you!) _


	4. The Chuunin Exams

_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. _

_A/N – I know the Chuunin Exams only started invited foreign villages after SWW3. However, just to make interesting, I'm keeping a few foreign teams in this Chuunin Exam as well. I hope nobody minds that small change from canon._

_Please read and review! Also, a big thank you to __**Soraya the All Speaker, secretsofgray, CarlaFox1997 **__and __**ninjapirate**__ for reviewing! _

/\/\/\/\/\

The morning of the Chuunin Exams, Tsunade found that for once, she had completely lost her appetite.

It had been three years. Three years since she'd made Genin, three years through which she'd trained and gone on missions with Hiruzen-sensei, Orochimaru and Jiraiya, three years since she'd actually taken an _exam_ – the time seemed to have passed by.

She was nine years old now, and this exam wasn't like the graduation one she'd taken back at the academy. This time there was no guarantee that she would pass, no easy test or jutsu that had to be accomplished. This time she'd be pitted against other shinobi; her academy classmates (all of whom were entering) as well as older shinobi, and foreign ninja from other villages. The Chuunin Exams had been made into not only selection exams, but an arena where the shinobi nations pitted their ninja-in-training together to foster political unity and development.

Tsunade was a bundle of apprehension and excitement when she reached the breakfast table, clothed and ready, but unusually silent.

"Eat, Tsunade-chan," Mito told her gently, "You'll need the strength."

"I'm not hungry..." Tsunade mumbled.

"What are you so nervous about?" her father asked, "The Hokage's your sensei. I'm sure he's prepared you enough for this!"

"I'm not sure if I'm ready," the usually confident Tsunade admitted.

"Nonsense," her mother Tsukiko brushed this doubt away, seating herself at the table, "You were one of the toughest in your class, ne?"

"Yes but," Tsunade hesitated, "There will be foreign shinobi, too, right? And older ones? Me, Jiraiya and Orochimaru are already the youngest..."

"And that's never been a setback for _either _of you three," Mito said firmly, "From what I've heard, you have the strongest Genin team that's been seen around for awhile. I'm sure all three of you will do fine. Now eat your breakfast, or no exam for you."

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade found Jiraiya already waiting outside her house when she exited, after being wished by her parents and grandmother. He didn't seem nervous at all, but rather excited, bouncing on the balls of his feet as they walked towards the academy, where they had been told to assemble.

"C'mon, Tsunade-chan, sensei's _Hokage_," he said, "He's one of the ones who chooses who gets it and who doesn't. No one can stop him!"

"Favoritism won't work," Tsunade argued, "This is different. There are other kages and other nations here. And what'll sensei do if we don't get through the first few rounds?"

"You're being weird, Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya said, "You're never scared of anything. Why are you acting like such a scaredy-cat now?"

"Shut up!" Tsunade snapped, elbowing him hard, "I'm just nervous!"

"That's more like it," Jiraiya grinned, though he winced slightly, "Relax. We're winning this thing, easy."

They met Orochimaru on the way to the academy, and though he didn't seem as nervous as Tsunade, he was unusually silent, even for him. Jiraiya did most of the chattering as they made their way to the academy courtyard. Most of the Chuunin hopefuls had already arrived, including their entire graduating class, which consisted of teams six to ten.

"There you are!" Kasumi cried, spotting the three, "Hey, is it true that you need to know an B-rank jutsu to pass?"

She looked rather flustered at this, as did most of the Genin, who were now staring at Team Seven, waiting for a response.

"How would – we know?" Tsunade was taken aback, "B-rank? That's insane!"

"I know," Kasumi wailed, "It's _Jounin_-level! None of us have a chance if that's one of the things they're testing us on! So, is it true? Your sensei's Hokage, you should know!"

"We don't know anything," Jiraiya said, "Sensei wouldn't tell us a single detail about the exams."

There was a chorus of groans at this. The frantic Genin had all expected Hiruzen's squad to reveal important details about the exam.

"We're being pitted against each other, aren't we?" Izumi Yamanaka demanded , "In one-on-one battling? And the person who beats everyone else gets Chuunin!"

"I-I don't know," Tsunade admitted, feeling more and more nervous.

"Don't listen to her," Orochimaru murmured, addressing her hidden fear, "They'll surely pass more than one person."

"I don't think they'd only let one of us pass," Dan spoke up, echoing Orochimaru's words.

"This entire exam is such a drag," Shinji Nara grumbled, "I don't even want to take it..."

"So then why are you?" Karo Inuzuka barked, "No one's _forcing _you. The lesser participants, the better for us."

"Actually, _they're _forcing me," Shinji groaned, gesturing to Akako and Kasumi, his teammates, "And sensei blackmailed me into entering..."

"How'd he blackmail you?" Jiraiya asked, his interest perking.

"Said he'd make me wake up at six in the morning every day to train for a month, if I didn't enter," Shinji drawled, yawning, "Figured since the exam gets over in a day, it'd be much less tiresome..."

/\/\/\/\/\

A few minutes later, the nervous Genin were seated in their old academy classroom. They weren't the only ones though; there were a handful of older Leaf Genin, as well as teams from some of the other shinobi villages. Tsunade recognized the insignias of Sand, Mist, Stone, Cloud and Whirlpool on the forehead protectors of the foreign ninja. The room was quite packed; there must have been over seventy shinobi present.

A few moments later, a stern-looking man with glasses and brown hair entered the room. Tsunade immediately recognized him as Homura-san, one of Hiruzen-sensei's advisory board members.

"Settle down," Homura said sternly, and the shinobi almost immediately did. He had a rather strict presence, and none of them were bold enough to mess around with him present, not even Jiraiya.

"Welcome to the Chuunin Exams," Homura said blandly, "Before we begin, I will take role-call."

He began, reading off the team names from a scroll of paper.

"Konoha – Team Uchiha. Team Sarutobi. Team Kurama. Team Akimichi. Team Mitarashi. Team Morino. Team Yuuhi..."

The teams raised their hands, murmuring 'present'. Tsunade noticed a lot of eyes on her, Orochimaru and Jiraiya when 'Team Sarutobi' was mentioned. Their Hokage's name had travelled far, and it seemed a lot was expected from them, being students of the Hokage.

"From Uzushio, we have Team Uzumaki. From Suna we have Team Akasuna and Team Sabaku. From Kiri we have Team Hozuki and Team Kurosaki. From Iwa we have Team Azuma..."

Homura droned on, and Tsunade counted a total of twenty-four teams taking part in the exams. From her mental calculations, that meant seventy-two students! Her heart plummeted; there was so much competition, and they surely wouldn't promote more than ten or fifteen, at the most!

She exchanged a nervous glance with Jiraiya, who was finally starting to look apprehensive. Orochimaru remained as calm as ever.

"Now that the roll call is over, and all shinobi are present," Homura said, "I will inform you about the first task. The first task is a test, primarily to test your technical knowledge regarding jutsu and techniques which you must know to be deserving of Chuunin. The first task will be a written exam-"

There were numerous groans at this, the loudest being from Jiraiya, though Tsunade felt slightly relieved. Written exams had always been her strength.

"The exam, though taken individually, will require a team effort," Homura said, "As the team average will be taken. The twelve teams with the best average will be allowed to take the second task. The other twelve teams will be taken out from this exam, and will be allowed to re-compete in six months if they desire."

There were more protests at this, and Jiraiya looked frantically at Tsunade and Orochimaru.

'What the heck?' he was mouthing wildly, eyes wide.

Tsunade bit her lip; she was pretty sure she and Orochimaru could nail a written exam. They were both extremely good with theoretical knowledge. But for Jiraiya, though he was an avid reader, he preferred fiction and comic strips. He'd never been one for reading textbooks or scrolls about jutsu or elemental theory. And if the twelve teams with the worst averages were failing, that meant only half of them would pass!

Orochimaru shot her a meaningful look, and Tsunade nodded. They'd just have to work extra hard, and try to gain as many marks as possible. Jiraiya, hopefully, would also scrape a decent score. Though he moped about exams, and claimed he was useless at them, he wasn't all that bad. He'd made Genin, for one thing, and the Genin test had consisted of a written exam.

"I'd like to remind you that cheating will result in immediate disqualification of both you and your team," Homura said, "We have Chuunin and Jounin instructors who will be seated in this room for the duration of the exam to ensure you do not cheat. Please note that the usage of any dojutsu or kekkai genkai such as the Sharingan, Byakugan, or any other dojutsu, is not permitted during this exam, and will also result in disqualification."

Tsunade smirked slightly, as she saw a couple of the Uchiha kids scowling at them. It was a good thing though; she'd always considered the Sharingan a form of copying. She glanced over at Hikari Hyuuga, the only Byakugan user in the room, but Hikari didn't seem affected. Unlike the Uchiha, she was decent enough, and had never used her Byakugan during academy tests either.

The Chuunin and Jounin then entered the already stuffed classroom, arranging themselves around the students. Two of them began passing out the test papers and pens.

"The duration of the exam will be one and a half hours," Homura informed them, "You may begin!"

There was a flurry of papers, as the Genin flipped their exam sheets over. Tsunade's heart pounded, as she flipped hers over as well, gripping the pen tightly in her hand as she surveyed the first question:

_Name the classification of the Summoning Jutsu, and list the steps required to be undertaken prior to a summoning. Also, please state, in correct order, the hand symbols used for this jutsu._

Tsunade smiled, remembering their very first training session with Hiruzen-sensei, when he'd summoned the monkey king Enma for them. He'd taught them the basics of summoning, promising to allow them to make their own blood contracts when they were older. She glanced over at Orochimaru, who was writing, and Jiraiya, who was scribbling furiously, something which surprised her.

She hadn't expected him to remember the answer so quickly, but it was all the better that she had. Turning to her own page, Tsunade began writing her own answer neatly, running through the points in her head.

_The Summoning Jutsu, or Kuchiyose no Jutsu, is a Jikukan Ninjutsu, or time-space technique, which lets the user to summon a creature they have a blood contract with. Before using the technique, the user has to..._

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade's eyes flicked to the clock, an hour and twenty minutes later. She had ten minutes left for the last question. Not bad. She scanned the paper below.

_Draw a flow chart depicting the five basic elemental chakra types, showing their strengths and weaknesses to one another. Also, give an example of a jutsu of each elemental type, and state the reaction of Chakra paper when exposed to each element. Finally, describe the composition and usage of any one elementally-recomposed nature type jutsu, with an example of a prominent technique and user of that type._

Tsunade couldn't help but smile again; she'd nail this one too, so would Orochimaru (obviously) and Jiraiya. They'd had a pretty thorough grounding of elemental jutsu with Hiruzen-sensei. And the part about elementally-recomposed jutsus, though a rather tough question, would be nothing for her, though it gave her an odd feeling in her throat.

She remembered a strong, tan-faced man with long black hair, weaving hand-seals and causing wood to sprout out almost magically from the ground.

Surely, she'd be honoured to write about the revered Mokuton.

_Fire, weak against water, but strong against wind. Makes Chakra paper ignite and turn to ash. Example jutsu – Phoenix Flower Jutsu._

Tsunade scrunched her nose slightly, having to use a trademark _Uchiha _jutsu as an example, but continued nonetheless, moving onto water.

Four minutes later, she set her pen down triumphantly, finishing her exam paper off with the sentence '_A prominent user of the Mokuton or wood-jutsu was Hashirama Senju, the first Hokage of Konoha, who was also my grandfather'_.

She'd seen Orochimaru finish his paper two minutes before her. Jiraiya was still scribbling hastily, and Tsunade prayed that he'd finished. She waited, her eyes flicking around the classroom.

"Time is up," Homura called after a while, and at that moment, Jiraiya slammed his pen down on the table.

"DONE!" he practically cried out, face shining.

A couple of genin giggled, some of the Iwa ninja threw him dirty looks, and Homura shot him a stern look. Orochimaru and Tsunade, however, released identical sighs of relief.

Now all they had to do was wait for the results...

/\/\/\/\/\

"I have the results," Homura announced, walking back into the tense room, a few minutes later. The restless genin immediately stopped their fidgeting. They hadn't been allowed to talk, and the silent waiting had been the worst thing ever.

"Team Uzumaki from Uzuisho has passed the exam," Homura began, and Tsunade saw the Whirlpool Genin (two redheads and a blonde kid) cheer silently, pumping their fists.

"Team Hozuki from Kiri has passed. However, Team Kurosaki has failed. From Konoha-"

Tsunade sucked her breath in at this, and the room seemed to grow stiller and tenser than before, as the Konoha shinobi waited to hear the results.

"Team Morino has passed. Team Yuuhi has passed. Team Uchiha has failed."

"Nooo!" Izumi wailed dramatically, and her teammate, an Uchiha whose name Tsunade couldn't remember, glowered at her, as if it were her fault.

Tsunade's heart raced – her team was probably going to be announced next.

"Team Sarutobi has passed-"

"HELL YEAH!" Jiraiya shouted, jumping out of his seat in excitement. Tsunade broke out into a huge grin, her heart leaping, and even Orochimaru managed a small, smug smile.

They'd passed the first task.

Tsunade smiled at both her teammates, and Jiraiya beamed back, winking, while Orochimaru just nodded.

Homura read out the rest of the teams that had passed; from Konoha, Team Kurama had passed. So had Team Mitarishi.

Tsunade was glad that Dan's team had passed, though slightly disappointed that Kasumi's hadn't. Still, Kasumi's team also had Akiko Uchiha, so if that meant he failed, it was worth it.

There were five teams that had passed from Konoha, including three from Tsunade's batch, and two from the year above. One team had passed from Uzuisho, one from Kumo, one from Kiri, two from Suna, and two from Iwa, giving twelve teams totally.

Homura dismissed the teams that had failed, leaving only those twelve, the thirty-six Genin who would move onto the next task.

"I will now explain your next task to you," Homura said, "The second task will take place not here, but at the Forty-Fourth training ground."

There were gasps and murmurs among the Konoha Genin at this, and Tsunade felt a sudden chill.

_It can't be_!

They all knew what the Forty-Fourth Training Ground really was. It was one of the most dangerous and deadly ANBU practice fields.

It was also known as the 'Forest of Death'.

Tsunade had only heard rumors about it, but apparently it contained terrible monsters, from man-eating snakes to oversized slugs.

The prospect of entering it was terrifying.

Homura ignored the frightened-looking Genin, and continued.

"For this task, you will work in your teams. Each team will be given a flag, and a base. You will also be given a slip of paper, which will contain the name of another team. These slips of paper will have been selected randomly. Your job will be to capture the flag of the team whose name is on the paper you receive. As is obvious, one of the other teams will have received your team name, and will try to capture your flag. It is also your job to protect your own flag, and prevent the other team from taking it away from your base. Your own flag must remain at your base at all times. The first six teams to successfully arrive with both flags at their base, shall qualify for the next round. Each team shall be given a map of the forest, with the locations of all the other team bases marked. Does everyone understand?"

Tsunade drew a breath, processing the information. The three of them would be given a flag, which they would have to protect at their base. They would also have to procure another flag from another team's base simultaneously, and bring it back to their base. This would probably mean they would have to split up, into two groups; one for protecting and one for seeking.

"Would all the teams please follow me to Training Field Forty-Four, where you will be given your maps, flags and papers," Homura instructed, and the Genin filed out of the classroom, moving into their teams.

Tsunade immediately made a bee-line towards Jiraiya, who was now whispering something urgently to Orochimaru.

"Hey," she greeted, "What's happening?"

"I have a plan," Jiraiya told her, his voice unusually low, "To make sure no one gets our flag. It's fool-proof, too, I think."

"Really?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, before looking at Orochimaru.

"If what he told me is true, it _is _a very good plan," Orochimaru agreed.

"Of course it's true!" Jiraiya looked hurt, "Why would you think any different? How could you betray my trust like that?"

Orochimaru rolled his eyes at Jiraiya's melodrama, and beckoned to Tsunade to come closer. Their team was trailing a little way behind the others as they walked to the training field, so they could discuss their strategy without being overheard.

"What's the big plan?" Tsunade asked.

"I'm just _awesome_," Jiraiya bragged, "Really awesome. You're going to be _so _glad you have me on your team!"

"What is it?" Tsunade asked exasperatedly, turning to Orochimaru, "What is his big plan, Oro-kun, and why does he claim he's so awesome?"

"Because _I, _the great and gallant Jiraiya, can-"

"Jiraiya can summon toads," Orochimaru said blandly.

"Hey!" Jiraiya said sulkily, "You _stole _my thunder. Moron."

"Wait – _what_?" Tsunade's jaw dropped.

"You heard him," Jiraiya beamed, "I can summon toads. I have a blood contract! I've been training with them too."

"But the Summoning technique," Tsunade gasped, "That's really complicated. Not anyone can just-"

"Well I'm just _that _awesome," Jiraiya said suavely, striking a pose, "I can summon toads."

"Don't get to full of yourself. Sensei said he'd teach all three of us one day," Orochimaru reminded him.

"So _that's _what you've been doing all those days we see you meditating," Tsunade said, realising, "You've been training!"

"Of course I have," Jiraiya grunted, "They're teaching me really cool toad stuff like using nature energy and stuff. I haven't got the hang of it yet, but when I do, I'll become a sage!"

Orochimaru snorted at this part, and Jiraiya glowered at him.

"That's – really cool, Jiraiya," Tsunade admitted, "But – what use will _toads_ be in this exam?"

"He wants to make his toad summon swallow our flag," Orochimaru said.

"Yeah, so no other team can ever find it!" Jiraiya grinned, "It's brilliant! They'll come to our base, and there will be nothing, just a toad hopping around somewhere!"

"And they aren't likely to suspect summoning from mere Genin," Orochimaru remarked, "So they'll assume we took the flag with us."

"Isn't that – not allowed?" Tsunade asked.

"Doesn't matter what _they _think," Jiraiya said triumphantly, "I told you, it's the perfect plan!"

"No, but if they think we took the flag, won't they come chasing after us?" Tsunade pointed out, "We don't want more teams after us. We'll be busy enough fighting one... I think I have a better idea..."

/\/\/\/\/\

"Brilliant," Orochimaru said quietly, after Tsunade finished explaining. "As long as Jiraiya can pull it off-"

"Of course I can pull it off!" Jiraiya shot back, "Are you doubting my skills?"

"Then we're sorted," Tsunade smiled.

"Hey, but I don't like having to play guard when you and Orochimaru go hunting for the flag by yourselves," Jiraiya groused, "That's no fun!"

"Use more summons then!" Tsunade told him, as if it were obvious, "Keep them as scouts or something. You can stay with us till they tell you the enemy team is approaching our base."

"I can't – call that many summons at once," Jiraiya grumbled.

"That's too bad then. Stay at the base and be dramatic," Orochimaru said.

"Ugh," Jiraiya grunted, crossing his arms, "Fiiine. But you two better treat me to lunch after all this..."

/\/\/\/\/\

When they reached the location of the exam, the gnarled trees looming menacingly over head, Tsunade began to feel a bit nervous again.

Their plan, though a good one, hadn't taken into consideration that teams wouldn't be the only ones hunting them. This was the forest of death. She'd heard stories from her parents about it. The place was full of dangerous creatures and other traps.

Jiraiya didn't seem all that happy though.

"Hey, you two are gonna be together, but I'll be alone," he began anxiously, "What if something attacks me? Like a huge poisonous snake or something?"

"You have your toad," Orochimaru pointed out, "He's not completely useless, is he?"

"Of course not!" Jiraiya snapped, "But – oh, alright. But you two better make it quick!"

"We'll try," Tsunade promised him, grateful that she would at least have Orochimaru by her side; much better company than a talking toad, "Wish sensei'd taught _us _summoning though..."

It would be nice having company – preferably some sort of large animal summon like a tame dog or wildcat.

The exam proctor, a man wearing a flak jacket with a hard face, was going to all the teams and handing out the flags.

He reached Team Sarutobi, giving them a purple flag with the number '7' printed on it, along with a scroll and a slip of paper.

"Keep your flag at base," the proctor said shortly, "The scroll has a map with all the locations printed on it, and your opponent for this task is written on the paper. Try not to die, or get injured to severely. If you're in grave danger or want to forfeit, just swipe your blood on the scroll and do the hand-seals given below, and you'll be rescued. Do the same if and after you finish your task."

"Uh – thanks," Jiraiya said, eyes widening, as he turned to his teammates, "Rescued?"

"I guess they don't want casualties," Tsunade said, "It would complicate things with the other villages."

"Let's see who we have," Orochimaru unfolded the slip of paper, and read out, "11th team, color green. Who has a green flag with the number 11 on it?"

Tsunade and Orochimaru looked around, where all the teams were gathered, holding colored flags with numbers printed on them.

"There they are!" Jiraiya whispered, "It's one of the Iwa teams. Team Tsuchi, I think they're called."

Sure enough, three tough-looking ninja with the Iwa insignia on their forehead protectors were grouped not far from Team Sarutobi, one of the boys holding a green flag.

"Here's our base," Tsunade said, scanning the map, where their location was marked with a purple circle and the number 7, "Looks like we're near some kind of river..."

"And the Iwa nin?" Orochimaru asked.

"They're here," Tsunade pointed at a green circle with the number 11, on the other side of the river, and quite a distance away, probably six to seven kilometres.

"Hey, isn't it cool that we're Team Seven here as well," Jiraiya said suddenly, gesturing to their flag, "Good luck, right?"

"It's not going to make a difference," Orochimaru said.

"Wonder who has to get _our _flag," Tsunade said.

"I feel bad for them, whoever it is," Jiraiya snickered, "Hope it's not one of the Konoha teams though. Kinda want all of us to get through, you know?"

"Each of your teams will now be led to a separate entry-point, from where they have to reach their base," Homura said, "The sooner you reach your base, the better for you. Remember, do _not _take your flag away from your base, or you risk disqualification. We have tracking jutsu on all the flags, so we _will _know if you change its location."

A female Chuunin came, and escorted Team Seven around the perimeter of the forest to their gate. It took about fifteen minutes for them to reach the entrance, but they weren't allowed in.

"At the signal, you may enter," the Chuunin said.

"What signal?" Jiraiya looked confused.

A few seconds later, there was a sound rather like a gunshot, and a large fireball was blown into the air from a distance.

"That's it, you may go," the Chuunin said, and a moment later, Team Seven was off.

/\/\/\/\/\

Team Seven leapt their way through the treetops, Orochimaru scanning the map as they ran. Jiraiya had taken charge of the flag as they made their way towards the base.

They had run for about thirty minutes, pumping chakra to their legs to increase their speed, unhindered by any wild animal or enemy team. Suddenly, an enormous brown snake shot out of one of the trees, hissing madly, fangs dripping with venom.

Tsunade screamed loudly, Jiraiya gave a loud yell, and even Orochimaru jumped back a foot, looking wary.

"Don't move," Orochimaru said to his teammates, who stared at the advancing snake, petrified.

"Wha – are you crazy?" Jiraiya snapped, "It'll eat us all!"

"Just wait," Orochimaru hissed, "No point running. We can get it!"

The snake slithered closer, bulbous eyes gleaming maliciously, as it opened its maw, head rearing back to strike.

"When I say go," Orochimaru muttered, "Attack."

Jiraiya gulped and nodded slowly, though Tsunade stared ahead, frozen in fear.

The snake darted forward suddenly.

"GO!" Orochimaru yelled, and disappeared with a puff of smoke.

The snake hissed loudly, its teeth sinking into the log, which had materialized where Orochimaru had been, just seconds ago.

Orochimaru reappeared above the snake, kodachi gleaming.

He landed on the creatures large head, but the snake was writhing furiously, attempting to free its fangs from the log.

"Back me up!" Orochimaru called to Jiraiya and Tsunade, plunging his kodachi into the snake's head.

The snake made a horrible screeching sound, one Tsunade never knew snakes were capable of making. But then this thing was a monster. Blood spurted from its wound, but it was far from dead, just enraged, and with a final jerk, freed itself from the log and started jerking wildly, attempting to dislodge Orochimaru. Its tail came whipping through the air.

"Jiraiya!" Orochimaru shouted, jumping upwards, narrowly missing the tail.

"Firestyle: Dragon Fire Jutsu!" Jiraiya yelled, and seconds later, the snake was engulfed in flames.

The monster jerked and writhed, hissing in agony, and Tsunade could make out its dark shape among the blazing fire.

"Baka!" Orochimaru shouted, from one of the tree branches where he'd landed, "We're in a forest!"

The flames had spread from the snake, and were now licking the brush and the trees.

"Oops," Jiraiya made a face, as Orochimaru made hand seals from above.

Seconds later, an enormous stream of water was pouring from Orochimaru's hands, dousing the flames, on both the plants and the snake.

"Did we get it?" Jiraiya asked, as they surveyed the charred and burnt form of the snake.

"I – I'm unsure if its dead," Orochimaru replied, landing on the ground, "But I think – _Tsunade-hime!_"

His sentence was cut off, when the seemingly defeated snake got up again, in one fluid movement, and lunged towards Tsunade, eyes burning with rage.

"TSUNADE-CHAN! MOVE!" Jiraiya shouted.

Tsunade, however, stood frozen in terror as the snake's gaping maw advanced – it was too late – she urged chakra to her legs – she wouldn't be able to dodge...

Suddenly, there was a large weight on her, knocking her aside – it was Jiraiya – and they tumbled away, as the snake struck the ground instead.

A second later there was a metallic sound, of weapons flying through the air.

"What were you thinking?" Jiraiya exploded, rolling off of her, "Why didn't you move?"

He was angry, angrier than she'd ever seen him, shaking slightly.

"I-" Tsunade began, unsure of what to say.

"Come on, we should leave," Orochimaru said, landing beside them, "Are you alright, Tsunade-hime?"

Tsunade turned, looking up at the large carcass of the snake, which was lying, covered with blood. There were at least thirty shuriken and kunai sticking out of its large figure, and Orochimaru was wiping his kodachi against a tree bark.

Tsunade turned to her teammates, both of whom were surveying her with expressions of concern. Jiraiya was covered in dirt and leaves, and his face was scratched. He was also slightly wet, from Orochimaru's earlier jutsu. Orochimaru himself was splattered with snake blood.

They'd saved her. They'd saved her and were kneeling by her, looking extremely worried, and she didn't know what to say to them.

She felt her cheeks burn in humiliation – why had she tensed up like that in such a crucial situation? Why did Jiraiya have to jump in and save her? What was wrong with her?

"Th-thanks," Tsunade mumbled, "Jiraiya-kun, Orochimaru-kun... I – didn't know what got over me..."

"It's alright," Jiraiya muttered, "Don't worry about it. You've protected my back on missions before..."

"You don't need to be so scared of snakes, Tsunade-hime," Orochimaru said, "Just treat them like any other enemy ninja. It's okay."

"Thanks," Tsunade repeated, "And I'm – sorry..."

"It's okay," Jiraiya reverted to his usual cheerful self, "Now that I look all beaten up, at least my acting will be more believable!"

"Indeed," Orochimaru agreed, "Otherwise we'd have to make Tsunade-hime punch you once we reached our base."

"And I'd rather get beaten by some old snake than face _her _punches," Jiraiya joked.

"It _was _a pretty cool snake though," Orochimaru said thoughtfully.

"It was a monster that nearly killed us. You're retarded if you think that," Jiraiya informed him.

Tsunade smiled at both her teammates, feeling extremely grateful for how they were handling the entire situation. They didn't blame her even for a second, and though she'd feared it for a moment, they were making it evident that she hadn't slipped in their regard at all after this incident.

They were shinobi, after all. And though everyone expected them to be perfect, they were just nine, and Genin, and they had their fears, and made their mistakes. It was alright.

"C'mon, let's leave," Orochimaru said, "We should get to the base in fifteen more minutes."

With that they took to the trees again, leaving the rotting, charred carcass of the snake and their first enemy in the Forest of Death far behind.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Well here we are," Jiraiya announced, fifteen minutes later, pointing to the wooden bridge crossing the gushing river, "Our base is among those trees near that bridge on the riverside."

"Do it quickly, Jiraiya," Orochimaru said, "We were held up by the snake, and the other team may already be headed here."

Jiraiya nodded, and bit his thumb, drawing blood, as Orochimaru and Tsunade watched him silently.

He made the hand seals, slamming his palm on the ground, with a cry of 'Summoning jutsu!'

Seconds later, there was a poof of smoke, and a large red toad appeared. The toad had a pipe between his thick lips, and was covered in red warts, and was approximately the size of a large lion.

It was ugly, but Tsunade was impressed. From Orochimaru's expression, she could tell he was as well.

"Yo, Gama-kun, what's up!" Jiraiya greeted him enthusiastically.

"What do you want now?" the toad croaked, looking annoyed, "I was sleeping, you know..."

"I wanna introduce you to my teammates, Gama-boy," Jiraiya said, grinning proudly, "This is Tsunade-chan, and that's Orochimaru! Guys, this is Gamabunta."

"He-llo," Tsunade said tentatively, and Orochimaru nodded.

"More humans," Gamabunta grumbled, "Is that why you got me here? To make boring introductions? Not that it's not nice to see you, Tsunade, Orochimaru – but I was having a nice nap..."

"That's not it, you old frog," Jiraiya said, and Gamabunta puffed his cheeks in resentment.

"You gotta swallow this flag for us, and help us with our exam!"

"...what?"

Jiraiya quickly explained their task to Gamabunta, who looked annoyed for a moment, before nodding eventually.

"So you'll do it?" Jiraiya exclaimed gleefully, "Thanks, Gama-boy! Open up, now!"

"Gamabunta opened his large slimy mouth, and seconds later, the flag all but disappeared.

"We – will be able to get it back, right?" Tsunade asked.

"'Course we will," Jiraiya rolled his eyes, "Gama's not eating it, just storing it for a bit. Okay, thanks Gama, you can go sleep by those trees over there now. We're good."

"Don't wake me up again unless it's urgent," Gamabunta said, hopping towards the bushes, concealing himself among the tall trees.

"Watch out for snakes, 'kay!" Jiraiya warned him.

"Won't he get eaten?" Tsunade asked fearfully.

"No," Jiraiya said confidently, "He's much stronger than he looks and can do jutsu too. Don't worry about him, or the flag."

"Shall we go then?" Orochimaru asked Tsunade.

"Yeah, go, and hurry back," Jiraiya said.

"Alright," Tsunade nodded, and the two of them leapt off, taking to the trees.

"Good luck!" Jiraiya called after them.

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade and Orochimaru crossed the river using the bridge, and then made their way along the bank, avoiding the deep forest, which would undoubtedly have more wild animals. They reached their destination after an hour, and crouched in the tree, scanning the area for the flag.

"This is it, right?" Tsunade asked, looking over the map again, "They should be here. But I can't see them anywhere, or the flag!"

"The flag's green, it'll be easier to conceal," Orochimaru said, "Plus they're Iwa nin. They must have used some ground -based jutsu to help hide it."

"Wish we had a Byakugan-user with us," Tsunade muttered, scanning over the forest floor, "Think they've hidden it underground?"

"It's likely," Orochimaru said, before smirking slightly, "Though that shouldn't be too much of a problem for _you_, right princess?"

Tsunade flushed.

"I don't know if it's a good idea, me running around and smashing the ground apart. It'll attract attention."

"Let it," Orochimaru said, "They've bound to have left someone guarding the flag, even if he is hiding. I'll deal with whoever comes. You just do your ground-breaking stuff."

"Okay, then," Tsunade agreed, dropping off the tree.

She looked around the clearing, where the map said the base was, but saw no one. They had concealed their flag well.

"Let's get to it," she muttered, rolling back the sleeve of her yukata, and raising her fist high, gathering as much concentrated chakra as she could to it.

Then she punched downwards.

BAM! CRACK!

A rather large chasm ripped through the center of the clearing, stretching from one side to the other. Tsunade surveyed her handiwork critically, before gathering more chakra.

BAM! BAM! CRACK! CRASH!

Multiple chasms and enormous craters opened up, and Tsunade kept punching. Her fist was throbbing, and her knuckles were bleeding from the impact, but she didn't care. She steadfastly looked away from the blood, wishing she knew some medical ninjutsu, and continued.

The dirt caved, and the rocks cracked, and she knew she was making a lot of attention. After opening up her fourth chasm, Tsunade finally spotted a bit of green, hanging out of the rock.

"Finally," she muttered.

Her hand had been aching, and though she could be resistant to the pain, it made punching difficult.

Tsunade leapt towards the hidden flag, stopping suddenly as a large, rather burly boy with cropped hair popped up from the ground. He was followed by two others – his teammates, a wiry-looking girl and a fat blonde-haired boy.

Tsunade hesitated – she hadn't expected their entire team to be here. One or two of them should have been off flag-hunting.

"You sure you want to take on all of us, little girly?" one of the larger boys asked condescendingly, cracking his knuckles.

He looked to be twelve or thirteen, and he towered over Tsunade.

She didn't really care; she was used to fighting older and larger shinobi.

Tsunade didn't run at him, but stamped her foot, hard, instead.

The chakra-powered jab was enough to make a large crack open up, right under the feet of the shinobi. They stumbled.

Tsunade darted forward, and she saw Orochimaru leaping out from his spot in the trees, kodachi flashing.

Her fist landed with the large boy's face, and she injected chakra into the punch.

He howled in agony, and Tsunade smirked. She'd broken his jaw, for sure.

The boy seemed furious, and quickly made hand seals to counter.

"Earth release: Rock Bullet!" he yelled, and a flurry of enormous boulders came flying at Tsunade.

She kicked and punched, chakra-infused, and managed to shatter them all.

The boy seemed shocked, but came at her again, and Tsunade lashed out with her foot this time, giving him a chakra-powered kick.

CRACK!

He crumpled to the ground, glaring – she'd broken his shin. He wouldn't be able to move, but he could still use jutsu.

Tsunade was about to deliver a blow to his skull, and knock him out, when the girl came rushing at him, a giant rock-shaped spear in her hand. From the other side, her original opponent was making hand-seals.

_I can't get them both! _Tsunade panicked, as more rock bullets sped at her.

She dodged and shattered them, but the girl was close now, and her spear was mere inches away from skewering Tsunade.

CLANG!

There was a loud ringing noise as Orochimaru leapt in front of Tsunade, raising his kodachi against the rocky spear, blocking the blow.

Tsunade immediately leapt to the side, giving Orochimaru way as he parried the girl's attack. She couldn't see the fat boy – he'd disappeared entirely, but the other boy was kneeled over his broken leg, hands growing with chakra.

_Medical ninjutsu! _Tsunade thought frantically, _I'll have to finish him off before he heals himself!_

She raced at him, with a chakra-filled fist, but then hesitated – he was healing himself; would it be right to strike then?

Unfortunately, the boy sensed her hesitation, and snapped back up, his leg apparently healed, and charged at her. From the other side, Tsunade saw the fat boy charging at her as well – where did he pop up from all of a sudden?

She punched at kicked at them both, now engaging in close-combat taijutsu as she tried to deliver as many blows as she could, dodging theirs simultaneously. Orochimaru joined her a second later – but hadn't he been fighting off the girl?

They fought for a while, Tsunade unable to land a proper blow in the chaos. Then, the fat boy used a jutsu, making some kind of large rock dog emerge from the earth. The dog leapt at Orochimaru, jaws snarling and wide, and since he was busy parrying off the other shinobi's blow, he couldn't dodge.

"NO!" Tsunade shrieked as the creature sunk its teeth into Orochimaru's arm.

Orochimaru smirked slightly, before lunging at the fat boy.

Seconds later, there was a sparking sound, and a burst of bluish energy. Orochimaru's form disappeared, and the fat boy's form did as well, crumbling into dirt.

_A lightning clone! _Tsunade realised.

Orochimaru had created a clone with the lightning element; the perfect idea, since they were fighting rock clones, and lightning was elementally strong against earth.

That meant that the fat boy had been a clone too – and the girl-

Tsunade whipped around to see the real Orochimaru finish off the 'girl' who also ended up disintegrating to dirt. She had also been a clone.

The only real opponent had been the shinobi whose jaw Tsunade and broken.

_So the other two had gone scroll-searching, _Tsunade realised, _but they left clones to intimidate their opponents. Not bad._

The third shinobi, however, now ran towards Tsuande, snarling, blood dripping from his chin. Though he'd managed to fix his leg, his jaw was still broken.

He aimed a volley of shuriken and kunai at her, and Tsunade punched the ground immediately.

A wall of rock sprung up, and the weapons clattered off harmlessly.

Orochimaru, who had been behind her, immediately leapt over the wall, his hands rapidly flowing through hand seals.

He then took refuge behind the rock wall with Tsunade.

A few seconds later, there was a blast, shattering Tsunade's wall and showering dirt everywhere. Orochimaru pulled Tsunade down, and the ducked, covering their heads.

When the dust and smoke cleared, Tsunade finally got up, peering through the destroyed clearing.

She could see the Iwa shinobi struggling to get up.

"Come on, get the flag," Orochimaru urged, "We'll leave now. He's injured, but he'll recover soon. He can use medical ninjutsu."

Tsunade nodded, scrambling towards the gap in the rock, where the flag was sticking out from. She punched the rock and it crumbled away, and Tsunade yanked out the flag.

She raced after Orochimaru, who had already taken to the trees, flinging a handful of senbon at the recovering Iwa shinobi. They wouldn't kill him – they weren't poisoned. But Tsunade had a relatively good knowledge of acupuncture points, and the shinobi would probably remain paralysed for a good ten minutes, enough time for her and Orochimaru to escape and put a good distance between them.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Nearly there," Orochimaru urged, "Just a mile to go..."

Tsunade sped alongside him, looking back every few minutes to make sure they weren't being followed.

They'd made it this far without incident. They were close to completing the task, very close.

Suddenly, something large, round and squelchy dropped down from the tree, blocking their path.

"Aaargh!" Tsunade shrieked, jumping back.

A few more things dropped, and Tsunade had to fight the impulse not to vomit, as one dangled in her face.

They were slugs – fat, glistening, oozing slugs.

"Careful, they're probably poisonous," Orochimaru said, stepping back as well, "Just get your senbon out, hit one each, and we're safe."

Tsunade however stared, wide-eyed, as one of the slugs began inching up her foot.

"Tsunade-hime?" Orochimaru asked.

"Get – it – away –" Tsunade whispered, shivering, "It's – really – gross –"

"It's just a slug," Orochimaru began exasperatedly.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!" Tsunade shrieked, trembling, "Get it away, Orochimaru, _get it awaaaay!"_

She was shaking visibly now, and Orochimaru, realising that she probably wouldn't be able to move, forget aim a weapon, dug his hand into the weapon holster attached to her hip, pulling out a handful of senbon.

A few neat shots later, and the slugs were on the ground, twitching.

Tsunade continued to stare, eyes wide, and looking close to fainting.

"Come on," Orochimaru nudged her, "Come on, Tsunade-hime, they won't do anything to you."

"They – they're so – so - eurgh!" Tsunade made a face, looking desperately at her teammate.

"Tsunade-hime, they can't move," Orochimaru said, "And they're just slugs."

"They're so slimy! And – they're twitching weirdly!" Tsunade squealed, acting very un-ninja-like.

"..." Orochimaru stared at her, slightly amused.

"Oro-kun!" Tsunade pleaded, staring up at him from wide, terrified eyes, "Just - just get them away from meee!"

Orochimaru shook his head, before grabbing her hand and yanking her upwards, away from the slugs.

"You're insane," he informed her, "They're practically harmless."

"That are _not_!" Tsunade wailed, finally regaining her bearing, "I hate all these slimy things! Snakes, slugs... they're all so gross!"

"Careful, princess," Orochimaru said, lips twitching as they made their way through the treetops, "You may just jinx our animal summons..."

"What? Are you crazy?" Tsunade cried, "Don't say things like that!"

"Just stop thinking about it," Orochimaru advised her, "You're a _kunoichi. _You've battled far worse."

/\/\/\/\/\

When they got near their base, Tsunade and Orochimaru hid in the treetops.

They could hear Jiraiya's loud, whining voice, filtering through the trees.

"It's all my fault! My teammates are gonna _kill _me! They told me to guard it and now its gooone!"

"They're not the only ones!" another voice shouted back, "You stupid rookies are always so useless! How could you _lose _it like that! And what the hell do _we _do?"

"I don't know!" Jiraiya moaned, "Maybe you could go in that direction. Team Kurama, who went after me - they went that way..."

"How do we know you're not trying to trick us into leaving you alone?"

"Hey, if I had the damn flag, I'd be hiding with it. And can't you see, I'm injured! That stupid Team Kurama played unfair, two on one! And they betrayed me! A fellow Leaf-"

"Why would they even take _your _flag?" another voice, a female, demanded, "And is that even allowed?"

"It is allowed. They never said anything about taking another team's flag. You just have to keep your own at your base. And its 'Cause Dan, their leader – he hates me. He always has, ever since academy. And I called Chokichi Akimichi fat today morning, so they've been wanting revenge on me ever since," Jiraiya explained.

"Why would you call an Akimichi fat?" the girl asked, sounding exasperated, "You tactless idiot."

"I know, I know, but I couldn't help it! So they came and took it, for revenge. And Orochimaru and Tsunade-chan are going to _murder-"_

"_We'll _murder you if you don't shut the hell up-"

"Calm down," the girl's voice said, "Are you sure we checked everywhere?'

"Yeah, we did. Thoroughly. There's nothing here except that huge frog in the bushes-"

"Toad," Jiraiya corrected immediately, "And I wouldn't bother him. He can spit water bombs, see. I accidentally stepped on him, and he got mad. That's why I'm so wet."

"You're hopeless, you baka," the boy muttered, before cursing, "And here I thought it would actually be a challenge, battling the students of our venerable Hokage. Sarutobi-sama would be _disgusted."_

"Well, you see, I've always been the weak link," Jiraiya mumbled, sounding embarrassed, "Tsunade-chan and Orochimaru-kun are the geniuses..."

"Whatever. Where did you say they went again?"

"That way. I swear."

"Ugh – fine. Come on – if Team Kurama is another Rookie Team, we shouldn't have much trouble coercing the flag out of them..."

Tsunade and Orochimaru pressed closer to the tree trunks, catching their breaths as the two shinobi leapt past.

A few moments later, when their footfalls had died, they burst out into the clearing, where Jiraiya was sitting, leaning against a boulder, looking rather smug.

"We got the flag!" Tsunade said breathlessly, as she and Orochimaru jumped down.

"Awesome!" Jiraiya beamed, leaping up, "I just got rid of our enemies! Tricked them into it! Told them-"

"Yes, we heard your drama," Orochimaru said, a hint of a smile on his face.

"It was brilliant, wasn't it?" Jiraiya asked perkily, "Lucky for us it was Team Yuuhi, from Konoha. I had a feeling if it was another nation's team, they would have beaten me up for the sake of it..."

"Well you look pretty pathetic already," Tsunade admitted.

"Thanks to that snake from before!" Jiraiya grinned.

"But honestly, why would you blame Team Kurama?" Tsunade asked, "Dan's too nice to ever-"

"Whatever, it _worked,_" Jiraiya said, "They think we're rookies so it's good. They assume we're dumb and weak."

"Well, _we're_ not, but apparently _you're _the weakest li-" Orochimaru began.

"Shut up! I just said that to get rid of them!" Jiraiya snapped, "You are _not _allowed to use that against me!"

"I guess we should summon a proctor now," Tsunade said, "Since we have both flags."

"Yep, just hold on a minute," Jiraiya replied, before hollering, "Hey! GAMA-BOY! NAPTIME'S OVER! GET OVER HERE AND SPIT IT OUT!"

Gamabunta, looking extremely annoyed, finally hopped towards them, and rolled out his tongue.

Indeed, their flag lay there, looking rather damp, but fine otherwise.

"Why don't you take it?" Tsunade suggested, scrunching her nose.

Orochimaru did, apparently finding nothing gross about it, and they had both their flags ready.

"You can go, Gama-chan, and thanks a ton," Jiraiya said, patting the toad's warty head, "I may call you later to fight, okay?"

"Yeah, Jiraiya-boy, later," Gamabunta nodded, before disappearing with a poof of smoke.

"I _love _summons, don't you?" Jiraiya beamed.

"Yeah, yeah, now call the proctor," Tsunade said, gesturing at the hand-signs listed at the bottom of the map.

Jiraiya did so, and seconds later, there was a rush of leaves. Homura appeared, looking surprised once he saw their flags.

"I thought you were forfeiting," he said, "It's still quite early on..."

"We have both our flags, Homura-san," Orochimaru said politely.

Homura looked at them, before checking a scroll of paper, and nodded.

"Hiruzen's team then," he muttered, "No wonder..."

He sounded rather annoyed, for some reason. Tsunade couldn't tell why.

"Well, congratulations on passing," Homura said blandly, "You're the first to finish, though it shouldn't be a surprise. You're Konoha's favourite Team Hokage, after all."

He sounded bitter, Tsunade realised, though she had no idea why. She decided she didn't like him much though. He had a distinct air of unfriendliness.

"Thanks!" Jiraiya beamed, shooting him a thumbs-up, "So are we good to go?"

"You are," Homura said, before performing a few hand-seals.

Seconds later, they found themselves transported back to the academy. They landed on the floor with a thud, their heads reeling. Being transported without warning was a bit jolting.

"You will wait here, until the rest of the teams come," Homura said, before leaving.

"Wait – wha – don't we get food?" Jiraiya exclaimed after him, but there was no reply.

"Guess they'll only send us to eat after all the teams arrived," Tsunade shrugged, "Can't believe we're first though!"

"Of course we are," Jiraiya grinned at her, "We're _Team Hokage, _remember!"

"Hiruzen-sensei will be proud," Orochimaru said.

/\/\/\/\/\

Thirty minutes after Team Sarutobi finished the task, the other teams began trickling in. The second to enter were Team Uzumaki, from Uzuisho. They carried two flags, one blue and one orange. Next came Team Akasuna from Suna, carrying a red and brown flag.

Tsunade noticed that one of their members – a girl with dark purple hair and a bun – was completely unscathed. That was creditable, and Tsunade made a mental note to look out for her.

To their surprise, Team Mitarashi was the next to come in, carrying one black flag and one indigo one. Karo Inuzuka and Daichi Uchiha were scratched and looked utterly beaten. Karo's brown mutt was covered in leaves and dirt, and looked ready to pass out. Sakumo Hatake, however, was in a better state.

Jiraiya immediately bounded over to them.

"You guys passed too! That's two Konoha rookie teams!" he said.

"Yeah, we managed," Sakumo muttered.

"What Teams did you beat?" Tsunade asked, walking towards them as well.

"We got our flag from the Iwa ninja," Sakumo replied, "And guarded it from the Kumo ninja."

"That means both Iwa and Kumo are out of the running!" Jiraiya cheered.

Sakumo raised a silver eyebrow.

"We got our flag from Iwa too," Tsunade explained, "And since there was only one Kumo team that qualified, Jiraiya's right."

"Hm," Sakumo nodded, "Congratulations then. And good luck for the finals."

"Thanks!" Jiraiya beamed, grabbing his hand and shaking it heartily, "You guys too!"

The next team to arrive was Team Hozuki from Kiri. Their apparent leader, a hulky boy with pointed teeth, was carrying both their flags; a grey one and a yellow one.

"One more team to go!" Jiraiya whispered, "None of our seniors have made it through yet!"

"Well we beat Yuuhi," Orochimaru said, "Though I suppose Team Morino has a good chance."

"I hope Dan-kun's team gets through!" Tsunade said.

"Why?" Jiraiya looked at her weirdly, "Why would you want _them_?"

"Because they're nice!" Tsunade said, as if it were obvious, "I really like Dan, and Hikari's sweet too."

"Do I sense a crush?" Jiraiya teased, waggling his eyebrows.

"Oh shut it," Tsunade rolled her eyes, "You're being ridiculous."

/\/\/\/\/\

"Dan-kun!" Tsunade cried, when Team Kurama entered, looking utterly exhausted, a white flag and a pink flag trailing behind them.

Jiraiya snickered, and Tsunade glared at him.

"Hey Dan! Hi, Hikari, Chokichi! I'm glad you passed," Tsunade smiled.

"Thank you," Dan smiled back, eyes crinkling, "You too."

He suddenly turned to Jiraiya, eyes narrowing.

"What?" Jiraiya asked defensively, straightening his face.

"What did you tell Team Yuuhi?" Dan asked, "They were after us. Seemed to think we took your flag for revenge or something..."

"Haha, sorry," Jiraiya chuckled, "I had to get rid of them. They were after ours, see..."

"How did you manage to convince them that _we _had it?" Dan asked.

"Yes, and how did you hide it so well?" Hikari wanted to know.

"Did you call me fat?" Chokichi asked sulkily.

"I didn't call you fat," Jiraiya told Chokichi truthfully, "I wouldn't dream of it."

He then turned to Dan and Hikari and just winked.

"Well?" Dan asked, obviously curious, "How did you do it?"

Jiraiya just sighed, looking all too-satisfied.

"I'm _Jiraiya_."

Tsunade whacked him on the head right after this.

/\/\/\/\/\

From the final six teams to pass, three of them were Konoha's Rookies, which said a lot about Tsunade's graduating class. The nine Rookies sat grouped together, waiting for instructions on what was next.

"Congratulations to all those who have passed," a man drawled, walking into the classroom.

He had light brown hair tied into a ponytail, and a kindly face.

"My name is Arashi Umino, and I will be your proctor for the final stage of the exams."

There was a murmur at this, but the Genin soon quietened down and stared at him in rapt attention.

"Thank you," Arashi smiled, "Now, as you may have guessed, the final part of this exam includes one-on-one fighting. However, it will not be a tournament-style stage. Instead, each of you will be fighting two matches, against opponents who will be randomly decided. You will not be selected as Chuunin based on whether you win or lose, but based on the skills, jutsu and intelligence you display during your battles. Though it is true that winning gives you a higher chance of being selected, if you showcase your abilities well enough, you may still pull through."

The Genin seemed excited by this prospect – and it debunked all the rumors that only one finalist would make it to Chuunin. Jiraiya, however, was disappointed.

"I thought our team would make it to the top three," he groaned, "That would be _so _awesome."

"Not too likely though," Orochimaru said, "What if we were pitted against each other?"

"Oh, yeah, forgot about that," Jiraiya admitted.

"I'd also like to remind you," Arashi added, raising his voice slightly, "That killing your opponent will result in immediately disqualification, and if it was deliberate, you may be stripped of your shinobi status altogether."

The room was silent, some of the Genin looking genuinely shocked. Was anyone in the room even _capable _of murder?

"You must report near the stadium at 8 o clock, tomorrow morning, where you will be given your opponents. You have till then to do whatever you like. You are dismissed."

"Let's go for lunch," Jiraiya said immediately, grabbing his teammates, "It's late and I'm _starving_..."

"You guys can come over," Tsunade said, "We'll have lunch at my place. It's right next door to the Hokage Tower, so sensei can come too!"

"Sounds like a plan," Jiraiya agreed.

/\/\/\/\/\

Fifteen minutes later, a rather starved Team Sarutobi was seated at the dining table, at the Senju household.

Tsunade's father was there as well, along with Hiruzen, who had dropped by.

"Congratulations," he smiled at his team when he entered, "I already know what happened."

"Did they tell you we came first?" Jiraiya asked, jumping out of his chair.

"They did indeed," Hiruzen nodded, still smiling.

"About how I totally tricked Team Yuuhi-" Jiraiya went on.

"Yes, I did."

"And how I summoned Gamabunta-"

"Yes, I heard about that too, Jiraiya-kun..."

"And how Orochimaru and I defeated those Iwa ninja?" Tsunade piped up.

"Of course, princess. You did very well. You too, Orochimaru-kun."

"Thank you, sensei!" Tsunade chimed.

"Yes, thank you," Orochimaru said.

Hiruzen stayed for thirty minutes, listening to the detailed narration from his excited students, who were all speaking together, while simultaneously shovelling food down their throats.

"So then I told Orochimaru that I'd handle our base, since I could do summoning myself." Jiraiya was saying.

"I had to use water-based jutsu because Jiraiya-baka would have set the entire forest on fire," Orochimaru recounted.

"And then we were attacked by these giant slugs – they were _gross_!" Tsunade shuddered.

"And I pretended to be upset, and told them Team Kurama had stolen our flag, when really, actually, Gama-boy-"

"So I created a lightning clone so I'd have an elemental advantage, and leapt to where Tsunade-chan was-"

"And I punched this _enormous_ crater into the ground, like this _gaping _chasm, and we saw the flag, right there-"

Hiruzen smiled, and after hearing all their accounts, regretfully told them he had to go.

"What? Why?" Tsunade wailed, "Won't you give us tips for tomorrows round?"

"I'm sure you'll all do well," Hiruzen smiled, "I've trained you enough, and you've proved it today. Just keep a cool head, and use your jutsu smartly. Remember, you have _two _matches, so distribute your chakra evenly as well."

"Where are you even going?" Jiraiya demanded.

"I have to help organize some more things for the final round tomorrow," Hiruzen said apologetically, "And the foreign teams accommodations have to be arranged."

"Where are they staying, sensei?" Orochimaru asked.

"The Uzumaki Genin and their sensei are staying in the Hokage tower itself," Hiruzen replied, "Our villages are really close, and the Senju and Uzumaki were as well, especially your ojii-san and their kage."

"Oh," Tsunade was surprised, "I – didn't know that."

"Come on, Tsunade-chan," Hideiki said, eyes twinkling, "Mito-obaa-san is an Uzumaki herself! She moved here when she was sixteen!"

"I – didn't know that either!" Tsunade exclaimed, "Does that make me – part Uzumaki as well?"

"One fourth Uzumaki," her father winked, "Maybe some of those Genin are your cousins, princess, you never know."

"Cool! I didn't know Tsunade-chan was part-Whirlpool," Jiraiya said, "Where are the rest of 'em staying?"

"One of the guest houses," Hiruzen said, standing up, "Anyhow, I really must get going. Good luck for tomorrow, you three! I won't be able to meet you in the morning, but I'll be watching."

"Thanks, sensei!" Jiraiya hollered, "And remember to recommend us highly to the selectors, okay?"

The three returned to their meal, eating with gusto, as they spoke to Hideiki about the rest of the exam.

"Hey, where's obaa-san?" Tsunade asked suddenly, "And Kaa-san? I thought they would have come by now..."

"You're grandmother has taken your mother to the hospital, Tsunade-chan," Hideiki said seriously.

"What?" Tsunade was shocked, "Why, what happened?"

"It's nothing bad," her father said, smiling, "Just a check-up..."

"Check-up for _what_?" Tsunade pressed.

Hideiki sighed.

"Well, I was going to surprise you with this after the exam, but I may as well tell you know. Tsunade-chan, your mother is pregnant."

"..."

"..."

"WHAT?" Jiraiya exclaimed, since Tsunade was too shocked to say anything and Orochimaru was too polite.

"I tell it as it is," Hideiki shrugged, "We found out today afternoon."

"Tsunade's getting a sibling!" Jiraiya cried, "Wow, that's so cool! Tsunade-chan, you're gonna have a little brother or sister!"

"I – yeah-" Tsunade recovered from her shock, a smile spreading on her face, "That's – that's amazing, tou-san!"

"Thanks," her father grinned.

"So you're not upset?" Jiraiya asked, a rather evil glint in his eye.

"Why the hell would I be?" Tsunade demanded, turning on him.

"Well, you won't be the village's precious little princess anymore," Jiraiya teased, "You're going to have to _share _that title, right, Tsunade-_him-mph!_"

"Shut up!" Tsunade snapped at him, dunking his head into his noodles.

Jiraiya surfaced, spluttering, as he pulled noodles off of his face.

"I'll get your for that, you scrawny little wench!"

"_What did you call me?"_

/\/\/\/\/\

"Tsunade-chan! Jiraiya!" a voice called.

Tsunade and Jiraiya looked up, where a group of girls from their old class was gathered.

"Good luck!" Izumi Yamanaka wished them, "Hope you make it!"

"Thanks," they both said, and though Jiraiya was grinning confidently, Tsunade's was more of a grimace.

It was the morning of the final task, and they were all waiting inside the stadium, waiting for the rest of the participants.

Kasumi and most of their other classmates had already wished them, and were seated among the spectators at the stands.

For a moment, Tsunade wished she could be there as well, a cheering onlooker, instead of someone who had to fight.

She was nervous, and she was extremely conscious of the hundreds of people who would be watching her.

She brushed away that thought almost immediately – she wanted Chuunin more than anything – for herself, her teammates, her sensei and her family – especially her unborn sibling! Then her baby sibling could brag about her to his or her friends.

"Orochimaru-kun," Izumi said, turning to her other teammate, "Good luck!"

She batted her eyelashes and some of the girls giggled.

"Yeah," Orochimaru muttered, turning away.

Tsunade sighed, rolling her eyes – the girls were ten, which was the age when 'fan-girling' or obsessing over shinobi began.

Yet, Orochimaru was still _nine, _just a few months older than her. Though he had a nice face, he certainly wasn't worth giggling and blushing over, in Tsunade's opinion. Especially since he barely spoke or even looked at any of those girls.

"Oh look," one of the girls squealed, "It's Sakumo-kun!"

"Oh, wow, let's wish him!" Izumi said immediately, "Bye Orochimaru-kun! I know you'll win this! Bye Tsunade-chan, Jiraiya!"

The girls scampered over to a rather annoyed-looking Sakumo Hatake, and Tsunade rolled her eyes again.

The only boy that they liked more than Orochimaru was Sakumo; and his face wasn't even visible.

It was ridiculous.

"Hey look, your long-lost cousins are here," Jiraiya said, pointing to the Uzuisho Genin, who had just entered, chattering happily about something.

"Should I introduce myself?" Tsunade wondered aloud.

"After we kick their asses," Jiraiya said decidedly, before perking up, "Look, your precious Danny-boy's team has come too!"

"Don't call him that!" Tsunade snapped, though she felt her cheeks heat up, "He's not _my _anything! And his name is _Dan."_

"Okay, your precious _Dan-kun's _team has come then," Jiraiya said cheekily.

"Oh, ha ha," Tsunade said sarcastically, "You're hilarious, Jiraiya."

"I know, I know," Jiraiya said modestly, "I'm quite the humorous one, I am, After all-"

"You're _Jiraiya, _we know, spare us," Tsunade said scathingly, "I'm going and saying hello..."

"Of _course_," Jiraiya said mockingly, before turning to Orochimaru.

"I bet she'll date him when we're older," he said.

Orochimaru just shrugged, making a non-committal sound, as Tsunade greeted Dan and his team.

They weren't alone though; there was an older girl with them, looking to be around fifteen or sixteen, with the same colored hair as Dan's, pulled into a high, sleek ponytail. She was carrying a small child in her arms.

"This is my older sister Masako," Dan introduced, "And that's Ayame, my baby sister. She's just a year and a half old."

"Hi, nice to meet you," Tsunade said sweetly.

"Nice to meet you as well," Masako smiled, "You must be Tsunade, right? Dan's told me about you and your team. The famous Team Hiruzen, right?"

"That's us!" Jiraiya said, popping up behind Tsunade, dragging a bored-looking Orochimaru with him, "I'm Jiraiya the Gallant, by the way, nice to meet you too. This one is Orochimaru."

"Hello," Masako greeted, looking rather amused.

Tsunade, in the meanwhile, was busy talking to Dan.

"I'm getting a baby brother or sister too, you know!" she told him excitedly, "I found out yesterday that my mother is pregnant!"

"That's amazing," Dan said, grinning, "Baby siblings are the best! They look up to you, and don't bully you around like older ones."

"But your onee-chan seems really nice," Tsunade said.

"She is now," Dan agreed, dropping his voice to a whisper, "But you should see her at home. Once when I annoyed her, she pinned me to a tree with kunai. Couldn't get down for half an hour, till my mom saved me. She's actually quite a devil, her. I expect she has Uchiha genes..."

Tsunade giggled at the last part.

"Sorry to disturb you," Jiraiya said, eyebrows waggling, and expression not even the slightest bit sorry, "But we have to go. Discuss strategy and stuff."

"What strategy?" Tsunade glared at him, "This is individual."

"Bye Dan, seeya," Jiraiya said, before yanking Tsunade and pulling her to where Orochimaru was standing.

"What was that for?" Tsunade seethed.

"I'm sorry, Tsunade-chan, but Orochimaru and I cannot let this happen," Jiraiya told her seriously, "This is going too far."

"What's he on about?" Tsunade asked Orochimaru, who just shook his head.

"I'm not involved in this at all," he said quickly.

"Meeting family members, Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya shook his head, his voice stern, "You are too young for marriage. You have a career as a kunoichi you must-"

"YOU BAKA!" Tsunade shrieked, "I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Hey, homicide will result in disqualification, you know!" Jiraiya yelled, now laughing, his stern facade cracking, "And it's for your own good! Orochimaru and I feel that-"

"Don't bring _me _into this-"

"We're _nine years old _you idiot-"

"Nearly ten-"

"Whatever. We're too young. _I'm _too young. And you're not my _father_!"

"Fine. We'll postpone this conversation by another three years then?" Jiraiya asked amiably.

"You crazy little – frog!"

"Hey! I summon toads, okay!"

"What – that had no relevance – ugh, forget it!"

Tsunade stormed off, fuming.

"Oh, come on!" Jiraiya called after her, "It wasn't that. Bastard here was feeling uncomfortable socializing so I had to stop it!"

"Don't blame me," Orochimaru said immediately, "And why are you pissing her off just before the exam?"

"Ah, you know Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya said carelessly, with a wave of his hand, "This will help her performance. The angrier she is, the harder she hits."

"And you would know," Orochimaru chuckled.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Hello, Genin," Arashi greeted, once all the shinobi had arrived, "The final round of this examination will be starting shortly. I'll just pass out your schedules, where your opponents are listed, and we'll get right to it."

He did so, passing out slips of paper to the Genin, who read over them in excitement.

"I'm fighting first!" Tsunade exclaimed, reading hers, "And I'm against Hikari-chan! Oh no, I didn't want to fight a friend! Who are you matched up with, Oro-kun?"

"I'm fighting right after you," Orochimaru said, "Against one of the Uzumaki..."

"And I'm in the fifth match!" Jiraiya piped up, "Against the chick from Team Hozuki."

"No one's talking to _you_," Tsunade informed him snidely, but Jiraiya just grinned.

"Come on, Tsunade-chan, I was joking," he said.

"Never do it again," she told him coldly.

"Fine, fine," Jiraiya grumbled, "Sensitive _girls..."_

BAM!

"What was that for?" Jiraiya whined.

"You're forgiven," Tsunade said sweetly, "Whose your second match with?"

"Daichi Uchiha," Jiraiya said excitedly, "Hey, I'm fighting one of your haters!"

"And you better beat him," Tsunade said, "My second match is with Chiyo from Team Akasuna..."

"She's that girl who came through the Forest of Death completely unscathed," Orochimaru said, nodding at the purple-haired girl, "You'll have to be careful of her."

"Yeah," Tsunade nodded, remembering how she had noticed the exact same thing, "And you?"

"I'm fighting – Sakumo Hatake," Orochimaru said.

Jiraiya gave a low whistle at this.

"You versus Hatake, huh?" he said, "That should be interesting."

"I bet the fan-girls will love it," Tsunade said acerbically, and Jiraiya laughed.

"You should use earth jutsus as much as possible for your first match, Jiraiya," Orochimaru was saying, "Team Hozuki's from Kiri, so they'll be using water. And Tsunade, you'll have to be careful of the Jyuuken. Actually, avoid taijutsu as far as possible with Hikari."

"Yeah, thanks mate," Jiraiya grinned, "My nature types are fire and earth, so I'm good..."

"_Don't _use fire," Orochimaru said immediately.

"Do I look retarded to you?"

"Yes, actually."

"Oh, suck it, teme. But Tsunade-chan, he's right about avoiding taijutsu. The chick's got Byakugan, and if she plugs up your chakra points, you're a goner."

"I know that," Tsunade muttered, "Which sucks because she's the worst possible opponent for me to get. _And _she's my friend."

"Well don't go light on her," Orochimaru warned, "Or you'll find yourself disabled. Just attack from a distance, punch the ground, whatever."

"Yeah," Jiraiya nodded fervently, "Just make one crater, and kick her into it. Too bad you can't summon anyth-"

"Yeah, thanks," Tsunade said loudly, not wanting to give Jiraiya another bragging opportunity, "I'll do that."

"Byakugan or not, you're way better than her, princess," Jiraiya assured her, "Show those Hyuuga what you Senju got!"

/\/\/\/\/\

"Good luck," Hikari said, smiling nervously.

"Yeah, you too," Tsunade nodded back, "I wish I didn't have to fight you though."

"Me too," Hikari agreed, "Especially since – well, it's _you. _But anyways, let's have a good match!"

The crowd was cheering and clapping, but Tsunade focused, blocking them all out. She badly wanted to search in the crowd for her parents, or her grandmother, or sensei, but she held back the temptation. She had only two fights, to prove she was worthy of Chuunin. And her first fight was about to start.

"Ready, you two?" Arashi asked.

"Yes," both girls answered.

"Alright. This match will end when either of you is paralysed, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to battle. Raise your right hand and tell us if you wish to forfeit-"

_Not a chance, _Tsunade thought.

"You may begin!"

"Byakugan!" Hikari cried, and veins pulsed around her white eyes.

Tsunade immediately leapt upwards, taking her teammates advice, and gathered chakra to her palm.

Before Hikari even had a chance to slide into a fighting stance, Tsunade slammed her fist downwards.

CRASH! CRACK!

The crowd gasp, as a rather large chasm opened up right underneath Hikari's feet. The Hyyuga girl barely managed to scramble out of it, and leap away.

She charged towards Tsunade, palms outstretched and glowing with chakra.

_I have to keep her away, _Tsunade realised, dodging two or three blows.

Hikari was good at taijutsu, but nowhere as fast as Orochimaru or Jiraiya, who Tsunade had trained with, so she could dodge her for a while.

However, she didn't want to risk it – even one well-placed hit from Hikari would land her in trouble; for both matches. She relied too much on chakra, and hence preferred maintaining her distance.

Tsunade leapt backwards, and as she landed, gathered chakra to her feet.

CRACK!

Another crater opened up, and Hikari had to leap over it, almost tumbling in.

She took out a few shuriken and kunai, hurling them at Tsunade, who took out her own kunai and deflected them all.

_She's managing to avoid falling in, and I'll waste too much chakra if I keep punching the ground pointlessly, _Tsunade realised, _plus it would look stupid. Shinobi are supposed to be stealthy, not rip up the terrain._

But Hikari, who had sensed that Tsunade was wary of her Jyuuken, was coming at her relentlessly.

_I'll have to trap her, _Tsunade realised, quickly forming a new plan.

This time, as Hikari charged towards her, Tsunade ducked the blow, and sped under her, punching the ground along the way. A large, jagged rock sprang upwards, blocking the girl from the back.

Tsunade moved around to the other side, and punched again, causing another rock wall to spring up.

Her knuckles were bleeding now – she'd have to end it soon.

Hikari charged at her again, and Tsunade met her blows this time, careful not to let Hikari strike her arms.

They fought with taijutsu for a few seconds, and Tsunade pushed Hikari towards the two perpendicular stones she'd forced out of the ground.

Hikari managed to plug up two chakra points in Tsunade's arm, and Tsunade cursed. It made gathering chakra slightly more difficult – not by much, but it was enough to be annoying.

Unfortunately for Hikari, she was now trapped, and had nowhere to go – she couldn't leap back, and Tsuande smiled smugly, before stomping on the ground, hard.

A crater opened up, and with nowhere to go, Hikari tumbled inside.

"Aah!" Hikari moaned, struggling up – it had been quite a fall, and a sudden one. Tsunade suspected that she'd broken a bone or two.

"I'm sorry, Hikari-chan!" Tsunade called, feeling guilty, "Are you alright?"

"I – I think I broke my ankle," Hikari said, her already pale face turning paler, "I – can't fight anymore."

"Hikari Hyuuga is unable to battle," Arashi announced, "Tsunade Senju wins round one!"

There was a loud, roaring applause at this, and Tsunade broke into a smile, which quickly faded away as the medics came to help Hikari onto the stretchers.

"I'm so sorry, Hikari-chan!" Tsunade apologized, "But it was the easiest way to end it. I didn't want to punch you directly!"

"It's alright," Hikari said, smiling weakly over the stretcher, "The medics will – good job..."

"You will be able to heal her before her next match, won't you?" Tsunade asked one of the medics anxiously.

"Of course, Tsunade-hime," the medic nodded, "It's a clean break. It won't take more than twenty to thirty minutes, and she'll be good as new."

"Thank kami," Tsunade said, heaving a sigh of relief, before making her way towards the stand, where all the participants were seated.

"Good job, Tsunade-chan," Arashi told her, "Though you've demolished the ground quite badly."

"Sorry about that," Tsunade said sheepishly.

"No worries," Arashi told her, "I'm sure it'll be in a worse state when all the matches are over."

**/\/\/\/\/\**

"You were awesome!" Jiraiya complimented her, thumping her on the back.

"Thanks," Tsunade grinned, feeling rather proud.

One match down, one to go – and then she'd _surely _make Chuunin!

"Was I impressive enough?" she asked.

"You must have been," Orochimaru said, "You're not even injured, so that must count for something."

"Well you're match is next, so good luck Oro-kun!" Tsunade said happily.

"Yeah, good luck, teme! Not that you need it!" Jiraiya added, and they settled down to watch Orochimaru's match.

Orochimaru was against a redheaded Whirlpool boy, and wasn't quite that thrilling, since Orochimaru was incredibly talented.

The Whirlpool boy seemed to use water jutsus the most, mainly relying on creating swirling cyclones. Orochimaru countered with earth jutsu and some lightning jutsu, winning the match in about five minutes, when he created three lightning clones to charge at the Whirlpool boy. The boy created another tower of water, which was rather foolish. The clones pounced on him, rather recklessly, and the moment the water hit them, they turned back to a stream of lightning, and with the added effect of the water, the poor Whirlpool boy was electrocuted pretty badly, landing Orochimaru a victory as well.

"It was nothing," he said, when his teammates congratulated him.

Dan's match was next, and Tsunade cheered loudly for him. Jiraiya made a face at her, and she punched him thereafter.

Dan was against a Sand Genin, and thus used mainly fire techniques to counter the wind techniques used by the Genin. He was good with weapons as well, and a few shuriken, fireballs, and exploding tags later, Dan had won his match.

"Great job!" Tsunade called when he entered the stand again, ignoring Jiraiya's smirk.

Karo Inuzuka and his dog fought next, against the Whirlpool girl, and won his match using his clan's 'Gatsuga' or Piercing Fang technique, which was extremely effective.

"I'm next!" Jiraiya jumped up, "Me and the girl from Kiri!"

"Good lu-" Tsunade began, but Jiraiya just shook his head at her patronizingly.

"Tsunade-chan, _please_," he said, "I'm _Jiraiya_."

"Of course," Tsunade muttered, "Go ahead then."

Jiraiya won his match, relying on earth techniques and ninjutsu. He didn't use his summons, which Tsunade guessed he was saving for the second match.

Chokichi Akimichi fought next, against the second Whirlpool kid, the girl, who defeated him, using the spinning motion of his 'Human Meat-tank' jutsu to trap him inside some kind of miniature hurricane.

Daichi Uchiha, to Tsunade's disdain, defeated his opponent from Kiri, using the Sharingan to copy and predict his techniques, and finishing him off by roasting him with an enormous signature Uchiha fireball.

Sakumo won as well – defeating his Suna rival by trapping him in a genjutsu, which was extremely creditable. Most Genin didn't even know how to recognize or break genjutsu, forget _cast _them.

"You'll have to be careful," Tsunade murmured to Orochimaru, "He's _good_."

"Yeah, well so is teme," Jiraiya said, "You'll beat him, right?"

"I'll try," Orochimaru said, eyes narrow as he watched Sakumo walk back to the stands towards his own teammates, who were both raving about him, "Tsunade, your Sand girl is next."

The purple-haired girl from Team Akasuna, who Tsunade learnt from the cheers of her teammates was named Chiyo, walked out confidently onto the ground.

"Whaddya think she's got in those scrolls?" Jiraiya wondered.

"We'll see," Tsunade said, focusing on the match.

Chiyo was facing off with a Kiri Genin. And the scrolls turned out to contain-

"Puppets!" Tsunade gasped, as Chiyo produced two large, humanoid wooden puppets, and began manipulating them with strings of chakra attached to her fingers.

The match was over a few minutes after it started. Deftly moving her fingers, Chiyo made one of the puppets block all of the Kiri shinobi's attacks, while the second snuck behind him, and managed to hold a kunai through his throat.

"How did she – when did she – wow!" Jiraiya seemed amazed, "I've _never _seen a technique like that!"

"It is fascinating," Orochimaru said, leaning ahead, intrigued, "I wonder what kind of jutsu she is using. I think it's a speciality of Suna... puppets... I'll have to read into this..."

"How did she control them so well with just ten fingers!" Jiraiya exclaimed, "They were like shadow clones, only better! It's like three on one, with her!"

He turned to Tsunade, who was biting her lip, hands clenched tightly at her side.

"Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya began.

"You're not helping," she snapped at him.

"Tsunade-" Orochimaru began, but she glared at him as well.

"I know she's amazing, but I have to fight her, so if you two don't mind shutting up about her great her jutsu is and-"

"Go for the puppet first, not her," Orochimaru said, ignoring this, "All you have to do is punch it once. Wood is easier to break than bone. She'll be defenceless after that."

"I was gonna suggest breaking her fingers," Jiraiya said, "But his plan is better."

"Oh – thanks guys," Tsunade muttered, her cheeks warm.

_I have to do this, _she urged herself, _I have to beat her!_

Orochimaru's plan made sense. And she'd prove to her teammates, and the rest of them, that she was _better _than this Sand kunoichi!

/\/\/\/\/\

For the second round, Dan's match was first. He was up against the Uzumaki Genin who Karo Inuzuka had defeated.

He used taijutsu and impressive earth-based ninjutsu this time, finally smashing his opponent into one of the craters Tsunade had created earlier.

"He won both his matches!" Tsunade squealed, "Dan-kun will get Chuunin for sure!"

"Goody for Dan-kun," Jiraiya rolled his eyes, as Dan grinned happily at the cheering crowd.

Chokichi Akimichi flattened his Sand rival in the second round, smashing him with his enormous, enlarged fist. Hikari Hyuuga, however, lost again, against the Kiri ninja whom Jiraiya had fought earlier.

"So that nuisance of a Danny-boy will pass from Konoha," Jiraiya was saying.

"Don't call him that!" Tsunade shrieked, "What's he ever done to you?"

"But it's unlikely that Chokichi will pass. He didn't do much except clan techniques, even though he won this time around," Jiraiya went on, ignoring her.

The Hyuuga girl will not pass," Orochimaru said quietly, "What about the Kiri ninja and the Sand shinobi?"

"I doubt, they weren't that impressive," Jiraiya said, "Hey, let's open a betting pool on this!"

"What's wrong with you?" Tsunade snapped, slapping his arm.

"It'll be awesome!" Jiraiya said, eyes gleaming, "Come on, Tsunade-chan, what do you think will happen in this next match? It's Karo Inuzuka versus the Sand chick..."

"This is ridiculous," Tsunade scoffed, "Betting is ridiculous..."

"Come on, princess, you know you want too," Jiraiya teased.

"Fine!" Tsunade relented, "I think Karo will win!"

"Ah, she's betting on Konoha," Jiraiya said, "Oro-teme, what's your bet?"

"I think the Sand shinobi will win," Orochimaru said after awhile, "Gatsuga won't penetrate those wind cyclones."

As the match progressed, Orochimaru was proved to be correct. Karo did lose, unable to do much against the wind technique used by the Sand Genin.

"That's one to Orochimaru," Jiraiya grinned, "So, teme, what do you think will happen between the Uzushio and Kiri match? The Kiri Genin who got taken by those puppets, and the Whirlpool kid that you beat? They both lost, so we know they both suck."

"I think Whirlpool will prevail," Orochimaru said after a moment, "No actually, make that-"

"I'll bet that Whirlpool will win!" Tsunade cut in immediately, with a desire to make up for her previous lost bet.

Jiraiya grinned.

"Fine. And I say it'll be the Kiri kid. What's the wager then?"

"Nothing!" Tsunade looked scandalized, "This is all for fun, right?"

"Right," Jiraiya chuckled.

The match lasted for eight minutes. At the end of it –

"Damnit!" Tsunade cursed.

"Lost again, Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya said gleefully, "Good thing we're not betting money, or you'd have lost a good amount by now!"

"I bet the Kiri ninja will beat the Uzushio ninja in the next match!" Tsunade said.

Both Jiraiya and Orochimaru looked amused.

"My, my, princess, don't you think you're getting a bit – _too enthusiastic _about this betting thing?" Jiraiya teased.

"Shut up!" Tsunade snarled at him. She _hated _being proven wrong.

She looked at Orochimaru challengingly.

Orochimaru smirked back.

"I bet that Whirlpool wins," Orochimaru said smoothly.

"Poor Kiri kid," Jiraiya said sadly, shaking his head, "He's got no chance now that Tsunade-chan's bet on – OW! IT WAS A JOKE, BITCH!"

"SHUT UP ASSHOLE!"

/\/\/\/\/\

"Oh look, Oro-kun, your match is next!" Tsunade said, "Good luck! I bet you'll-"

"Thanks," Orochimaru cut her off, smirking, "But I'd rather you didn't bet on me winning."

Tsunade looked affronted.

"Oro-kun!" she shrieked, "How could you? I'm not _that _bad! And I didn't even mean it literally!"

"Actually, you are," he informed her, "You're always wrong. Whoever you bet on, loses."

"Yeah, you lost thrice in a row," Jiraiya snickered, "You really suck at this."

"It's not my fault the ones I bet on _lose_!" Tsunade moaned.

"It is," Orochimaru told her seriously, "You must be cursed."

Jiraiya laughed, and Tsunade glared at them both.

"Fine," she snapped, "Fine, Orochimaru. I'll _curse _you. I _bet _you'll win this match against Sakumo Hatake."

Orochimaru and Jiraiya both started laughing at this, which was rare, since Orochimaru usually never laughed.

"She's jinxed you," Jiraiya warned him, "So in advance, I'm sorry you lost."

"It's alright," Orochimaru said, green eyes bright, "I'll try and win to break Tsunade-chan's losing streak, though if I lose, it's on you, princess."

"Oh, shut up, _both of you_!" Tsunade said, exasperated, as Orochimaru walked off, still laughing.

"Oh, and remember not to look directly at him!" she hollered after his retreating back, "Or he'll get you in his genjutsu!"

Orochimaru gave a slight wave of his hand to show he'd heard her, and walked towards the arena with Sakumo.

"I really hope he wins," Tsunade murmured.

"Oh, Tsunade-chan, you shouldn't have bet on him then," Jiraiya said with a mock-distressed look, "You've doomed him!"

"SHUT UP!"

/\/\/\/\/\

Orochimaru and Sakumo's match dragged on for forty entire minutes – it was the longest match yet, and still every second was thrilling.

They used ninjutsu of pretty much every element, multiple clones and substitutions, weapons, taijutsu, and on Sakumo's part, even genjutsu, which Orochimaru managed to break out of.

At the end of it, they were both dripping wet, slightly charred, and covered with numerous cuts and scratches. Orochimaru had a sprained wrist, and had to fight with just his right arm. Sakumo was limping on his left foot.

They'd exhausted most of their chakra, used all their weapons, and had come to exchanging blows, and finally, the proctor decided to step in.

"The match is a draw," he announced, since it was obvious they were getting nowhere.

The crowd booed; they'd wanted to see more, but Arashi Umino was adamant. When Orochimaru and Sakumo limped back, beaten, everyone began cheering wildly.

They'd really showcased their talent, and it was obvious both would be promoted.

"You were brilliant!" Tsunade squealed, when Orochimaru came back, slumping down, "Congratulations! They'll promote you for sure!"

"Yeah, you were great," Jiraiya said, before shaking his head regretfully at Tsunade.

"What?" she asked defensively, "If you're going to say this is _my _fault then-"

"But it _is_!" Jiraiya explained, his face shining, "Not a single match has landed in a draw, and it was obvious Orochimaru wasn't going to lose-"

"But – but –" Tsunade sputtered indignantly, "Sakumo's brilliant too! And it was an incredible match! Legendary!"

"You're the one whose legendary, Tsunade-hime," Orochimaru joked, exchanging a look with Jiraiya.

"Yeah," Jiraiya beamed at her, "You're a Legendary Sucker at betting!"

BAM! BAM!

This time, Tsunade hit the both of them, before stomping off to sit with Dan's team.

"We were only joking!" Jiraiya called after her.

"We're sorry?" Orochimaru offered.

"Whatever, just leave me alone," Tsunade huffed, "And Jiraiya, I hope you _lose_!"

After she was out of earshot, Jiraiya turned to Orochimaru and grinned.

"This means I'm winning!" he whispered excitedly, and they both collapsed into laughter again.

/\/\/\/\/\

Jiraiya was still chortling when he reached the arena. Tsunade eventually went back to sit with Orochimaru.

"Not. A. Word," she warned him, and Orochimaru shrugged.

Daichi Uchiha was sneering at Jiraiya; Tsunade could see his expression from where she was sitting, and make out their voices.

"What're you laughing about?" Daichi asked.

"Oh, nothing," Jiraiya said carelessly, before turning to the stands.

"LEGENDARY SUCKER, I'M WINNING THIS ONE FOR YOU!" he bellowed.

Tsunade buried her face into her hands, but finally cracked a smile.

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered into her palm.

"Get up, it's starting," Orochimaru informed her.

Jiraiya fought Daichi with taijutsu for awhile, which turned out to be pointless. The Uchiha, thanks to his Sharingan, was faster, and could predict some of Jiraiya's moves.

"What's he doing?" Tsunade moaned, "Why won't he just use the Summoning?"

"He's being smart," Orochimaru replied, "He didn't use taijutsu at all in his previous match, so I think he's trying to show it off before going straight to Summoning."

Almost as soon as the words left Orochimaru's mouth, Jiraiya had leapt back, dragging hs thumb across his teeth. He made the familiar hand-seals, and gave a shout of 'Kuchiyose no jutsu!'

The crowd gasped, when with a poof of smoke, Gamabunta appeared.

"It's over," Orochimaru said.

Daichi tried using his fireballs at Gamabunta, who retaliated with an even larger fireball, fuelled by oil. Jiraiya called it 'Fire Style: Toad Oil Miniature Flame Bullet'.

When the Uchiha called for his Phoenix Flower Jutsu, Gamabunta shot out water bombs.

Jiraiya and Gamabunta then teamed up, to take Daichi down with another collaboration jutsu, which was a larger version of the toad oil fire bullet.

"That's going to go really well for him," Orochimaru said, "He's collaborating jutsus with a summon. That's really high level."

"I can't wait till sensei teaches _us _summons," Tsunade said.

Jiraiya's match was drawing to an end; it was obvious that Daichi Uchiha was struggling to stand, but the proud boy refused to give up, and fought on.

"Listen," Orochimaru said urgently to Tsunade, "You can probably win the battle on taijutsu and chakra-power alone, I know, but try showing off your other techniques. Make some clones, do a substitution or two, maybe some elemental jutsu. It's not that you'll lose, but just in case, you should-"

"I know, I know, impress them by showing them a variety of techniques," Tsunade said, as Daichi Uchiha finally slumped to the floor, "Look, Jiraiya won. Guess I should get going..."

"Good luck," Orochimaru wished her, "And remember, strike the puppets first."

"Hey, told you I'd nail an Uchiha for you, sucker," Jiraiya grinned, walking towards her.

"Thanks," Tsunade said, rolling her eyes, "And good job."

"Thanks," Jiraiya smiled widely, "And win this thing. _I'm _betting on you this time, princess."

Tsunade contemplated hitting him but decided not to waste chakra, and walked out towards the field, a smile tugging at her lips despite her anxiety.

Chiyo stood across from her, scroll in hand, and nodded.

Tsunade nodded back, determinedly.

She would _win _this.

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade was shocked to see that Chiyo bought out not two, but _five _chattering puppets, and managed to manipulate them perfectly.

_She's using two fingers per puppet! _Tsunade realised, _how is she managing that?_

Tsunade also realised that this meant Chiyo obviously considered her a tough opponent. She certainly wasn't holding back.

That was good. Tsunade didn't intend to either.

She charged at the first puppet, punching it hard – the wood cracked and splintered, and Tsunade punched it again, near its joints.

She could see Chiyo tugging at the chakra strings, trying to make it move, but to no avail.

Tsunade smirked – that had been easier than expected

Four down, one more to go.

Chiyo, however, now anticipated that Tsunade would attack her puppets, something she didn't expect before, and was now more careful with how she was manoeuvring them.

Tsunade found herself fighting three puppets at once, all of whom could do taijutsu moves like normal shinobi.

Orochimaru's words rung in her mind, and Tsunade quickly created three more clones.

She wished she knew a fire jutsu, to set the wood on fire, but her natural element was lightning, and unlike Jiraiya and Orochimaru, she wasn't that adept with other types of nature manipulation.

Her clones fought the puppets, which then produced weapons.

Tsunade's eyes widened, and she bought out her own kunai as well; those puppets were better equipped than she thought!

After more taijutsu combat, in which Tsunade finally managed to disable a second puppet, but also lost and was forced to replace two shadow clones, the puppet she was battling suddenly let loose a flurry of senbon.

"Damn!" Tsunade hissed, jumping back, and parrying them with a kunai.

Unfortunately, one of them buried itself into her thigh. From across the arena, Chiyo smirked.

_No big deal, _Tsunade dismissed it, _it's not a critical point. It won't do much damage._

Tsunade slammed a chakra-laden fist at the puppet that had shot kunai at her, disabling it as well.

_Three down, two more to go, _she urged herself.

She fought the remaining two puppets with her clones, substituting every once and a while, though Orochimaru's words weighed in her head.

Other than her ground-breaking taijutsu, which was of course, very creditable, she hadn't been able to do anything extraordinary. She had to do something, before the match was declared a draw, or worse, before she lost, though she didn't think that would be the case.

However, Chiyo's two remaining puppets seemed steel-enforced, and were equipped with even more weapons; she wasn't able to break them, or even disable them, and her clones were disappearing every few seconds.

Suddenly, Tsunade realised a spreading numbness in her legs, and her eyes widened.

_That senbon had been poisoned, _she realised with a start.

The numbness began to take over, and Tsunade found moving her right leg rather difficult.

_No! This can't be happening, _she thought frantically, _if only I knew medical ninjutsu!_

That's when it hit her – medical ninjutsu.

Though Tsunade had never learnt it properly, or practiced it, she knew the theory quite well from the scrolls she'd read. She knew that it was possible to get rid of poisons by circulating chakra in a certain way, and blocking up certain blood vessels of lesser importance.

Moreover, attempting _medical ninjutsu, _at the mere age of _nine _was something unheard of – something, which if she succeeded at, would _surely _earn her Chuunin, whether or not she won this match.

_But do I dare risk it? _Tsunade wondered.

Medical ninjutsu was also extremely tricky – one wrong move and she could paralyze herself.

Still, her leg was growing number and number, and soon she wouldn't be able to move at all.

Filled with determination, Tsunade created more clones fight the remaining puppets, and then fell to the grounds.

She concentrated her chakra to her hands – but this time, allowed it to stream out and cover her palms, instead of stay at one point. Her palms glowed green, and when Tsunade was certain she had a steady enough stream, she placed her palm over her leg.

She heard an audible gasp throughout the crowd. Even Chiyo was staring at her, puppets chattering noisily.

_Come on, _Tsunade urged herself, recalling the chakra patterns from the scrolls she'd read in the library, recalling the times she'd seen her grandmother Mito healing people.

She directed the chakra flow in her thigh – it took a lot of effort, and a lot of concentration, but slowly, and gradually, the chakra in her thigh began to push the poison away, push it upwards, aided by the chakra glowing in her hands.

It took her a good five minutes, and her clones battled Chiyo's puppets furiously the entire time, holding them off.

Finally, Tsunade managed to gather the poison in one spot, on one of the blood vessels on the outside of her thigh.

She gulped; she knew there was only _one _way possible in which the poison could be extracted now.

Taking a deep breath, and screwing her eyes shut, Tsunade stabbed at her thigh with a kunai, making a small gash.

The blood poured out, and her head reeled. Tsunade stared at the red liquid, expecting the usual nauseating rush that she usually felt when she saw blood.

She felt nothing.

Tsunade took a deep breath, her hands shaking, and looked at the wound, red liquid streaming out.

She wasn't dizzy, she didn't feel like fainting – a smile tugged at her lips.

She'd gotten over it! She'd gotten over her fear of blood! By stabbing herself willingly, she'd managed to overcome her minor phobia!

She felt lightheaded though, and realised that if she didn't close up the wound, she'd faint of blood loss. Tsunade had never closed or healed a wound before; she wasn't sure how, but held her glowing palms over the injury, willing the chakra forward with her mind. The pain subsided. The blood stopped leaking.

Tsunade stared, wide-eyed, wondering what she had done. She couldn't patch up the skin – that was _far _too high level for her – but she'd stopped the blood from flowing. A purplish bruise was developing under her skin, and the wound was still open – but the blood flow had stopped.

Tsunade then realised that her leg throbbed madly, and she smiled.

Because pain meant she could feel again. Pain meant the poison's effect had been lifted, and the poison had been flushed out.

Tsunade tore off a strip of her yukata, and quickly bound the injury, wincing as she did so.

She then stood up, unsteadily.

The stadium, which had been unusually quiet, broke into a sudden ear-splitting roar.

Chiyo looked shocked, and was gaping at her. Even Arashi, who had been watching her, looked stunned.

Tsunade looked over at the benches, where she could see Jiraiya and Orochimaru staring as well. Jiraiya's mouth was wide open, and Orochimaru was staring at her intently out of wide green eyes.

Tsunade smirked – she'd done it.

The rest of the battle was a haze from her – she was fighting Chiyo's puppets again, fuelled by a newfound pride and confidence.

Then minutes later, the first puppet smashed to the ground, nothing but a bunch of wooden splinters and metal joints. The second one followed soon after, and Chiyo was left defenceless and unarmed.

Tsunade was declared victor, but her leg was throbbing again – the wound had reopened, and blood was staining her makeshift bandages and flowing down her leg. She reeled from the blood loss, black spots tainting her vision.

She didn't remember much after that, except falling to the ground, Arashi's concerned face swimming above her. Seconds later, she thought she heard a pattering of feet, and Jiraiya's voice and Orochimaru's voice calling out to her, followed by someone who sounded like Dan, and perhaps even Hikari Hyuuga.

And then, there was darkness.

/\/\/\/\/\

When Tsunade woke up, blinking to adjust her eyes to the light, she realised she was in a rather bright, white room.

The hospital.

Tsunade struggled to sit up, but a pair of heads was on her, steadying her.

"Steady there, Tsunade-chan," a gruff voice said.

"Sensei!" Tsunade exclaimed, "What are you doing here? What – the exams – what happened?"

She looked around, and saw that not just Hiruzen, but even her parents, and Mito were there, along with Orochimaru and Jiraiya, who looked rather relieved.

"Tsunade-chan!" Jiraiya practically shouted, bouncing onto her bedside, "Tsunade-chan you _fainted!"_

His eyes were wide, and looked utterly comical.

Tsunade couldn't help but giggle.

Orochimaru settled down at the foot of her bed.

"You – attempted medical ninjutsu," he told her, "And you – succeeded."

He sounded awed, and Tsunade blushed heavily.

"Y-yeah," she nodded, "But I also fainted."

"Still, you won!" Jiraiya said breathlessly, "And you did medical ninjutsu! Without being taught! Your'e the youngest person to ever have done that, in the world, Tsunade-chan! All the Chuunin and Jounin were talking about it, it was brilliant!"

"What you did out there was extremely creditable," Hiruzen smiled, "I was both shocked and proud to see you do that, though it shouldn't have been so much of a surprise, coming from you."

"You were amazing, Tsunade-chan," Mito said, smiling as she patted her on the head.

"Fantastic!" her father added.

"You really made us proud," her mother said, and Tsunade noticed her eyes were watering.

"Th-thanks," she mumbled, joy welling up within her, "I did it – for you all."

"Tsunade-chan," Mito said, "After seeing you today, I was very impressed. I think, that with proper training, one day you could surpass even me."

"Really?" Tsunade gasped, not believing her ears.

"Yes," Mito smiled, "Which is why – starting tomorrow, I'm going to personally train you, in medical ninjutsu."

"Obaa-san!" Tsunade choked, throwing her arms around her grandmother, "Th-thank you!"

"You deserve it," Mito said gently, "Now get off. Jiraiya-kun and Orochimaru-kun are bursting to tell you something."

"What is it?" Tsunade asked, looking at her teammates, both of whom were smiling.

"Well," Jiraiya said, "They announced the results of who made Chuunin when you were passed out..."

"WHAT?" Tsunade screeched, "I missed the announcement! What happened?"

"Don't worry, we were there for it," Jiraiya told her, grinning, turning to Orochimaru.

"All three of us made Chuunin, Tsunade-hime," Orochimaru said.

"WHAT?" Tsunade shrieked again, "Th-that's amazing!"

"I know," Jiraiya said ecstatically.

"I can't believe – all three – I mean," Tsunade corrected herself, "I should have expected it, because both of you were just great – but – that's never happened-"

"We're the first team in history to have passed together on our first shot," Orochimaru said, an there was a note of pride in his usual modest voice.

"WOW," Tsunade said, slumping back onto her pillow "Who else passed?"

"Well, from Konoha, Sakumo Hatake did," Orochimaru said.

"And your darling Danny, too," Jiraiya said rather disdainfully.

Tsunade felt too weak to throw something at him at that point, so let in slip, inwardly rejoicing that Dan had passed too. She didn't know why, but he was such a nice boy, and she was glad that he'd made it.

"One of the Whirlpool kids made it as well," Orochimaru added, "And your opponent from sand, the puppet-user. That's it."

"Five out of seven were Konoha rookies?" Tsunade exclaimed, "Wow!"

"Three out of seven were from Team Hokage," Jiraiya mimicked her tone, "_That's_ wow."

"Now, Jiraiya-kun, that's enough of that," Hiruzen said gently, though he was smiling and they could tell he was immensely proud, "If you rub it in too much, people will start saying I rigged it or used influence."

"But you didn't, did you?" Orochimaru asked.

"Of course not," Hiruzen scoffed, "I never would. You three passed on your own merit."

"Yep, we know," Jiraiya said.

"Speaking of which, I have a free afternoon," Hiruzen told his three newly-made Chuunin, "So after we give Tsunade her flak jacket-"

"What flak jacket?" Tsunade asked.

"It's a symbol of the Chuunin rank," Orochimaru said, "They gave them out during the ceremony, but since you missed it, sensei has yours."

"After that," Hiruzen continued, "How about I treat you three to lunch?"

"That would be great, sensei," Orochimaru said gratefully.

"Yes, please, sensei!" Tsunade squealed, "We haven't had a proper team meal in weeks!"

"HELL YEAH!" Jiraiya pumped his fist, before striking another funny pose, which made Hiruzen and Tsunade's parents all laugh.

Tsunade laughed as well, feeling a warm happy feeling in her stomach.

She had the _coolest _sensei, and the best teammates. They'd all just made Chuunin. Her grandmother was going to start teaching her _medical ninjutsu _tomorrow. She was going to have a sibling soon!

Life was perfect.

/\/\/\/\/\

_A/N – phew! That was a looong chapter! Fifty typed pages! _

_I love writing these characters when they're young and sweet and innocent. Though probably after chapter ten you'll see dramatic changes in their character._

_Anyways, please review, and let me know what you think! I'd appreciate it a lot =)_

_Thanks for reading!_


	5. The Utterly Gutsy Shinobi

_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto_

_A/N – Here's part five. As you can see, I'm taking this fic quite slowly. In case you're wondering, this is progressing year-wise. So each chapter has some of the main events of the year, and they all grow older by a year each chapter too. _

_A big thank you to __**CarlaFox1997, Soraya the All Speaker, Do the roar, UnderTheSakuraBlossoms, ninjapirate, eternalrose24 **__and __**LadyGagadriel**__ for reviewing! I appreciate it!_

/\/\/\/\/\

Days flew by, and then weeks, and then months. Tsunade barely even realized, as her tenth birthday, and those of her teammates came and went. They'd celebrated by Hiruzen treating each of the three for dinner, and giving them a free day from training, and of course, presents. On Tsunade's own birthday, she received a giant tome on medical ninjutsu from her sensei, which she began reading voraciously. Jiraiya and Orochimaru also pitched in to give her a new set of senbon, as well as a bunch of flowers courtesy Jiraiya (Orochimaru had laughed at this, but Jiraiya had just scowled and told him to shut up, and that it had been Izumi Yamanaka's idea when he'd asked her for advice; this was typical, since the Yamanaka's did own a flower shop). Orochimaru, on the other hand had given her a white snake-skin (Jiraiya had laughed at this, saying it was gross and not at all present-worthy). Tsunade had been slightly freaked out at first, wondering if it was some kind of a joke, but then Orochimaru had rattled off something about how he'd found one earlier near his parent's grave and he kept it in his room since it symbolized good luck – and then he'd found a second one and thought he should give it to her as well – and Tsunade was touched, and accepted it happily.

Her best present, however, had come from her parents. They had given her something which she greatly treasured, more than any of her other possessions: her grandfather Hashirama Senju's crystal necklace. He had worn it for years, and Tobirama had taken it after his death. But after Tobirama's death, they had both stated that they wanted Tsunade to have it once she was Chuunin. Tsunade loved the gift, and nearly started crying when she received it; her grandmother Mito did, probably reminiscing a time when her husband had been wearing the very same pendant around his neck.

Other than the rare day off, Tsunade, Orochimaru and Jiraiya were extremely busy, engrossed in their training. Tsunade, instead of training with her team six times a week, switched to only four or five. The other days, Mito would train her in medical ninjutsu at home, though she would meet her teammates for lunch, and later in the evening at six or seven, when their training sessions ended. She didn't mind this hectic schedule at all though. It was enjoyable and fulfilling, and she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

The training progressed well, and Hiruzen, though he often had to leave halfway to fulfill his Hokage duties, never left without setting them difficult tasks or training exercises, or teaching them new jutsus and skills to practice on. He usually left them in the supervision of his monkey summon, Enma, who was as strict as, if not stricter than Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.

Orochimaru and Tsunade pestered Hiruzen to teach them summoning, but he told them to wait until they mastered the other jutsu they were working on – in Tsunade's case more advanced medical ninjutsu which could also be used offensively – and in Orochimaru's case a new type of jutsu called 'Soft Physique Modification', which he had found in an old scroll and begged Hiruzen to teach him. The jutsu was extremely difficult, and unheard of in Konoha; it allowed him to stretch and elongate certain body parts. Jiraiya didn't understand why he wanted to learn the jutsu, and found it rather sick, making it the topic of many altercations between the two – Orochimaru claimed his jutsu was far more useful than Jiraiya's Ranjishigami no Jutsu, which used chakra to transform Jiraiya's spiky white hair into longer chakra-enhanced strands which could strangle an opponent. Tsunade, however, found both their techniques rather unique, and useful. Though Orochimaru was only attempting to learn how to stretch and elongate his arms (there was no point in using it for anything else), the jutsu required precise chakra control and knowledge of human joints and muscles. Tsunade found this part of the jutsu fascinating, and even helped Orochimaru with it when Hiruzen hadn't been there to supervise. Similarly, Jiraiya's jutsu used chakra to accelerate the growth of hair cells at a very high rate, making it rather similar to the basis on which many forms of medical ninjutsu thrived.

They were given missions too, of a higher rank and longer duration, since their entire team had been promoted to Chuunin together. Every couple of months they'd be given a mission which had them out of the village for a week or two. Tsunade found these missions exceptionally exciting, since they'd never had missions longer than three days before. Unfortunately, Hiruzen-sensei, being Hokage, was unable to accompany them. They usually went with one of the elder Jounin who hadn't been assigned a team; a Hyuuga, an Inuzuka, and once even Biwako, Hiruzen's wife. Biwako hadn't been surprised by the scuffles that broke out among the teammates; indeed, her husband would have told her what to expect. However, the Hyuuga Jounin was utterly scandalized, and the poor woman didn't know what to do with the irascible but undeniably talented Chuunin. The Inuzuka Jounin just threatened to set his snarling dog on them if they didn't behave, though they could tell he was amused.

In the meanwhile, Konoha was flourishing during the post-war period. Tsunade wasn't the only one expecting a younger sibling – she'd heard from Dan that even in the Akimichi clan, one of Chokichi Akimichi's aunts, the wife of the clan-head, was having a child. Izumi Yamanaka was gushing to everyone about how her new baby brother, Inoichi, was the most adorable little thing ever. Contrastingly, Shinji Nara was grumbling about Shikaku, his new cousin, whom he had to babysit every now and them, a 'troublesome' task. Kasumi, who'd been to the Nara household to meet her teammate, told Tsunade that this was utterly ridiculous – in her opinion, the baby Nara was quite an apathetic baby who didn't even cry, but slept for most of the day.

Tsunade, however, was more excited about her own baby sibling – a visit to the medic had confirmed that it was a boy, and the Senju family had decided to name him Nawaki, after Mito's deceased younger brother from Whirlpool, Nawaki Uzumaki.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Tsunade-hime."

Tsunade looked up, from the large fish she was healing as a part of her medical ninjutsu training.

"Orochimaru-kun," she greeted, "Not now, can't you see I'm with a patient!"

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, lips twitching as he eyed the fish, but nodded.

"I'll wait till you're done then," he said, leaning against the wall, and proceeded to watch as Tsunade finished healing the fish.

"So what's up?" she finally said, placing the flapping creature into a large water-filled tank, and moving to wash her hands.

"We have a mission today afternoon," Orochimaru replied.

"Oh," Tsunade perked up, excited, "What rank?"

"C-rank," Orochimaru said, and Tsunade's shoulders dropped, "Escort mission."

"As usual," Tsunade muttered, "Is it long? Where are we going?"

"I don't think it's a long one," Orochimaru said, "And I don't know the destination, but sensei said not to get your hopes up, because it's not Whirlpool."

Tsunade sighed, making a face. Ever since she learned that she'd been part-Whirlpool, she had always hoped an escort mission would crop up to the place. She'd pleaded her sensei to give their team one if it ever came (being a student of the Hokage did have its benefits) but the only missions to Whirlpool had been political in nature, and required one of the council members or clan-heads to go; and since these people were of Jounin rank, Konoha wouldn't pointlessly send Chuunin with them for the sake of tourism.

Still, Tsunade brightened as she walked out with Orochimaru after telling Mito she had been called up, it would be enjoyable. Escort missions, even if C-rank, were preferable to hunting animals, raking leaves, or sculpting the now-finished Hokage monument (which proudly displayed the faces of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju, as well as Hiruzen Sarutobi, etched into the rock). Tsunade loved leaving the village and going to new, exotic locations. And if it was C-rank, they would be able to relax a bit; B-rank escorts were the ones you had to be constantly alert and cautious on.

"Have you told Jiraiya yet?" Tsunade asked.

"No," Orochimaru said, "We're looking for him right now. I can't find him."

"Wasn't he training with you?" Tsunade asked, confused.

"We sparred a bit in the morning, and then he was meditating for some time," Orochimaru said, "But then he suddenly disappeared, said he needed to do something…"

"Maybe he's at Mount Mobu – Mobaku-" Tsunade stumbled over the name.

"Mount Myoboku," Orochimaru corrected, referring to the mountain where Jiraiya would go to train with the toads. It was in another dimension, so he was usually sent there by Gamabunta using the reverse summoning technique. Tsunade and Orochimaru were used to him poofing off every now and then, and returning in a few hours, looking utterly exhausted. Whatever training Jiraiya carried out in the mystical place seemed extremely rigorous, and when Tsunade and Orochimaru pried for details about the land, Jiraiya never said much, saying it was a secret, and informing them, rather smugly, that they would have to wait until they got _their own _summons to find out how it all worked.

"Yeah, when we can't find him, he's usually there," Tsunade said, but Orochimaru shook his head.

"Sensei already got Enma to check with the Toad King, he's not," Orochimaru replied, "I checked his house too…

They wandered around for awhile, sending out clones to locate their teammate, until they finally stumbled upon him, sitting by the river, scribbling on a scroll of paper

"Jiraiya!" Tsunade called, "There you are! What've you been doing, we've been searching for ages!"

"Tsunade-chan!" Jiraiya jumped up, clutching his scroll, "Bastard! Hi!"

"What are you writing?" Orochimaru asked, gesturing at the scroll, which was covered with Jiraiya's untidy scrawl.

"Oh – this – it's nothing," Jiraiya replied evasively, blushing slightly.

This only piqued his teammates' interest.

"What is it?" Tsunade asked, "I didn't know you liked to write…"

"I told you, it's nothing," Jiraiya repeated, snatching the scroll away from Tsunade as she attempted to have a look.

He was blushing harder, and now they really wanted to know what it was.

Tsunade caught Orochimaru's eye, identical mischievous expressions on their faces, and nodded.

"Hey, what're you – aaargh!" Jiraiya cried, as he was launched backwards by Orochimaru, who tackled him.

They wrestled around in the ground for a few moments, Jiraiya being forced to drop the scroll to counter Orochimaru's punch, and Tsunade delicately stepped in, pulling the slightly crumpled paper from the ground.

"Got it!" she said triumphantly, and Orochimaru and Jiraiya stopped their struggling, Orochimaru now straddling Jiraiya and pinning his hands down, smirking.

"What – what're you doing?" Jiraiya moaned, "Give it back, Tsunade-chan, I mean it!"

"Why would I do that?" Tsunade asked, eyes sparkling.

"Because if you don't I'll piss you off for the rest of your life, and I'll tell Dan that you're secretly in love with him-"

"You wouldn't dare," Tsunade said, eyes flashing, as Orochimaru continued to pin his struggling teammate down.

"I would!" Jiraiya shouted, "Unless you give it back right now!"

"I don't think so," Tsunade said, smiling again, "Dan wouldn't actually believe anything you say. And I'm not scared of what you'd do to me-"

"Yeah?" Jiraiya asked challengingly.

"Of course not," Tsunade shot back, cracking her knuckles, before turning her attention back to the paper.

"_Don't,_" Jiraiya said, a note of panic in his voice, "Don't you dare."

"Just read it aloud," Orochimaru said, smirk widening.

"You bastard!" Jiraiya screeched, attempting to claw at his face, but Orochimaru managed to dodge.

Jiraiya clamped his hand on Orochimaru's arm instead, and flipped him over, switching their positions, and pinning his arms.

"Tell her to give it back, you bastard, or I'll punch your face," Jiraiya said, glaring.

Orochimaru just smiled, and using his new jutsu, made his arm elongate and stretch upwards, till his fingers were at the collar of Jiraiya's yukata.

"Oh kami-sama!" Jiraiya yelped, eyes widening, "Not your sick stretchy rubber-band jutsu again!"

He let go of Orochimaru's long, rubbery arm, which immediately returned to normal, and the two boys scrambled up.

Jiraiya immediately lunged at Tsunade, who skipped away, running up a tree trunk.

"OY! SUCKER!" Jiraiya shouted, "GIVE IT BACK OR YOU'LL REGRET IT!"

He shot several small fireballs at Tsunade, who shrieked, and moved out of the way, glaring at him.

"You baka!" she shrieked, touching her singed ponytail, "Now there's no way!"

Tsunade turned back to the paper, mouth twitching, and read aloud.

"The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant, the Utterly Gutsy and Great Ninja," Tsunade said, furrowing her eyebrows, "What's this?"

Jiraiya glowered at her, mumbling something incoherent, and turned red, his face almost matching Gamabunta's skin.

Orochimaru, however, looked extremely amused.

"It's a – story," he said, before laughing out loud, "You're writing a story?"

"Yeah, it is," Tsunade was surprised for a moment, before she began laughing as well.

"What?" Jiraiya demanded, hands balling into fists, "What's so funny?"

"It's – nothing," Orochimaru shook his head, still laughing.

"I can't believe _you're _writing," Tsunade giggled, "That's so unlike you!"

"What do you mean?" Jiraiya asked defensively, "When we first became Genin, I told you my dream was to become a world-famous author!"

"We didn't think you were actually serious," Orochimaru said, rolling his eyes, "You're a _ninja, _Jiraiya. Not some lame–"

"The toads think it's a good idea!" Jiraiya said, "And I _am _serious about it! The only reason I didn't tell you two is because I knew you would laugh at me!"

For some reason, this made Orochimaru laugh even more.

"The _toads _think it's a good idea," he chortled, "The toads? Does sensei know about it?"

"As a matter of fact, he does!" Jiraiya snapped, "I've been doing it for a week! I usually go to Mount Myoboku, but today I wanted inspiration, so I stayed in Konoha!"

"What inspiration?" Orochimaru asked, looking around the area, "There's nothing here!"

"Well I –" Jiraiya's eyes shifted over to Tsunade, who was watching the conversation with interest, "You wouldn't understand!"

"Of course," Orochimaru said mockingly, "So is this going to be the new bestseller? The Tale of Jiraiya the Gay, Utterly Grouchy and-"

"It's Jiraiya the _Gallant," _Jiraiya corrected, enraged, "Utterly _Gutsy_ and Great Shinobi-"

"Yeah, great title," Orochimaru went on, still laughing, "That's bound to turn heads-"

"Shut up, it's just a – a draft! It's not even finished!"

"Is it a comedy?" Orochimaru teased, "Since it's about _you, _I guess-"

"You haven't even read it!" Jiraiya shouted, "So stop-"

"You're absolutely correct," Orochimaru cut in, nodding at Tsunade.

"Once upon a time, there was a ninja named Jiraiya," Tsunade read out, "Jiraiya lived in Konoha with his teammates and sensei. His teammates were Orochimaru-baka and Tsunade-chan. Orochimaru was a lonely and rather stupid little boy who had always admired Jiraiya for his brains and skills– Jiraiya what the _heck _is this?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at him, and Orochimaru looked livid.

"I am _not _a lonely, stupid little boy who admires your brains and skills!" he snapped, before adding thoughtfully, "Well perhaps I was lonely, but I _liked _it that way!"

"Hahaha," Jiraiya said sheepishly, "I told you to give it back, Tsunade-chan…"

"No, I want to see what you've written about me!" she said, and Jiraiya balked visibly.

"Don't-" he begged her.

"His other teammate, Tsunade-chan, was like a princess. She was really strong, and had really pretty eyes and blonde hair like a prin-" Tsunade paused, staring at Jiraiya wide-eyed.

Orochimaru looked peeved.

"Why would you write nice things about her and not me?" he sniped.

"You think I have pretty eyes?" Tsunade asked, before said pretty eyes narrowed, "Thanks, I guess."

"No problem," Jiraiya mumbled, looking away in mortification.

"But that's really weird, that you'd write it you know," Tsunade went on.

"Do I sense a crush?" Orochimaru asked.

"Wha – I – no – of course not!" Jiraiya sputtered, waving his hands, "Me like this sucker! No way! I don't!"

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, and Tsunade crossed her arms.

"Careful what you call me, idiot," she snapped.

"I don't like her!" Jiraiya babbled on, "Never! She's scary! I would _never _like Tsunade-chan that way!"

"We get the point," Orochimaru told him, and Jiraiya immediately shut up.

"I guess I'm flattered you think I'm pretty," Tsunade said, "But don't write things like that. It's creepy."

"Then you definitely won't want to see what I've written after," Jiraiya muttered.

Tsunade had jumped down from her perch on the tree, and Orochimaru had now grabbed the scroll, reading aloud as Jiraiya looked on, resigning himself to his fate.

"Tsunade-chan was really pretty, but Jiraiya didn't care," Orochimaru said blandly, "Even though she had a huge crush on him, like most of the other girls in the village, Jiraiya was too cool to care about things like that. He only wanted to be a great ninja and one day, even the Ho-kage…" Orochimaru trailed off, smirking, as he looked at the incoming eruption that was Tsunade.

Jiraiya was eyeing her nervously, edging behind Orochimaru for protection.

"YOU BAKA!" Tsunade finally screeched, "I DON'T HAVE A CRUSH ON YOU! AND NOR DO ANY OTHER GIRLS IN THE VILLAGE! WHY WOULD YOU WRITE THAT, YOU PERVERT?"

"How's that – perverted?" Jiraiya whimpered, "And I told you – it's a first draft – it needs – minor alterations!"

"I'LL ALTER YOUR FACE, ONCE YOU COME HERE, YOU FREAK! STOP HIDING BEHIND OROCHIMARU AND BE A MAN!"

"I am a man!" Jiraiya was insulted, "I'm _Jiraiya. _The Gallant! All the chicks dig me, but I don't care since I'm only focused on my trai-OW!"

WHAM!

Tsunade had punched him hard, and Jiraiya moaned, clutching a black eye.

"Gimme that!" Tsunade snarled at Orochimaru, snatching the parchment away.

Seconds later, bits of paper were fluttering to the ground, and Tsunade stormed off, fuming.

"There goes draft four," Jiraiya said mournfully, standing up.

"_That _was draft four?" Orochimaru asked, "I shudder to think what draft _one_-"

"Oh shut up," Jiraiya snapped, "I know it sucks. The entire thing sucks. I don't have a story so I haven't even been able to get past the first five lines. If only we got sent on a super-cool mission with lots of action and stuff…" he added longingly.

"I think your characterization needs some touching up too," Orochimaru said.

"Yeah, that too," Jiraiya agreed, "And the title…"

"I don't think you should write about yourself," Orochimaru said, "At least not now. You're just ten. Wait till we're all older, and really famous. Then it would make sense. We're just Chuunin, baka."

"Yeah," Jiraiya nodded, and the two began walking towards the Hokage Tower, which was hopefully where Tsunade had run off to, "But the main thing is I don't know anyone else to write about! Or anything for that matter…"

"Maybe you should wait until something actually _happens _worth writing about, instead of forcing yourself to write crap," Orochimaru told him bluntly.

"Possibly," Jiraiya said, considering it thoughtfully, "But nothing ever _happens, _and I really want to write!"

"Why are you doing it anyway?" Orochimaru asked.

"Because it sounds cool," Jiraiya said, "And I want to become a writer."

"You're already a shinobi," Orochimaru pointed out, "That's cooler."

"You're write," Jiraiya said, brightening, "But it'd be really awesome, seeing my name on a book…"

"There's always that Bingo Book," Orochimaru told him seriously, referring to the shinobi handbook that contained the names of all the high-ranked shinobi and missing-nin. So far, from Konoha, there was rumor that only Madara Uchiha and the first and second Hokage had made it in.

"And that will be so much more awesome!" Jiraiya laughed, "Though I'd rather get in by something cool, like inventing a new jutsu or becoming Hokage than being a missing-nin…"

"Hm," Orochimaru nodded, looking thoughtful.

"Think Tsunade-chan will fix my eye up if I ask nicely?" Jiraiya asked after awhile.

"No," Orochimaru said immediately, "You pissed her off too much… why would you write that though, I don't know…"

"Kicks," Jiraiya shrugged, "I was kind of writing the opposite of what was true, you know. Like what I-"

"What you secretly hoped was true?" Orochimaru asked shrewdly.

"Of course not!" Jiraiya waved him off, though his cheeks reddened, "I don't want all the girls in the village to like me! I don't even _like _girls!"

"So then why did you write that?"

"Well, Tsunade's dad told me that when Hashirama-sama was young, most of the girls in the village were in love with him. He said that all the stronger shinobi always have lots of fans…"

"He was joking, idiot," Orochimaru rolled his eyes, "Or being sarcastic. And I'm sure he'd change his mind if he found out what you wrote about Tsunade-"

"Well no one was supposed to find out," Jiraiya shrugged, "I would've just thrown it away – HEY!"

"What?" Orochimaru asked.

"I shouldn't be talking to you!" Jiraiya screeched, "You _betrayed _me!"

Orochimaru just walked on, ignoring Jiraiya's drama; this was quite a common thing for them.

"You shouldn't have teamed up against me like that, and taken my scroll!" Jiraiya was saying, "Plus, you made fun of my story!"

"It was retarded," Orochimaru pointed out, "You said you would have thrown it away yourself."

"Still, just because I insult it doesn't mean _you _can too, teme!" Jiraiya hollered.

"Whatever," Orochimaru replied apathetically.

"I'll get you back. You'll see!"

"I'm terrified."

"I'll become a great author one day! Just you wait!"

"Of course."

"And I'll have all these best-selling novels, and I'll hand out free signed copies to people, but _you _won't get one!"

"Hn."

"And I'll make you the – the _villain in all my books_!"

"And I suppose you'll make Tsunade-chan your pretty-eyed princess?"

"SHUT UP, ASSHOLE!"

/\/\/\/\/\

When Jiraiya and Orochimaru reached the Hokage's room, Tsunade was waiting outside.

She shot Jiraiya a dirty look, and turned to Orochimaru.

"Sensei's in a meeting," she informed him, "So we have to wait outside."

"And here I thought we'd be late," Orochimaru said.

"Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya wheedled, attempting to pull his best puppy-face, "Tsunade-chan, I'm sorry about what I wrote. It was all untrue, and I was going to throw it away anyways…"

"I'm _not _going to heal your black eye, if that's what you're getting at," Tsunade snapped, and Jiraiya pouted.

"How do you know I wasn't just – trying to mend bridges?"

"_Spare me, _Jiraiya," Tsunade rolled her eyes, "And for the record – I'm sorry too. For taking your crap, and reading it aloud. But it was too good a chance to resist."

"Well," Jiraiya morphed his face into one of hurt, "I was deeply insulted, and very sad, Tsunade-chan, but I'm willing to forgive and forget if you-"

"Oh, stop with the drama," Tsunade shook her head, "You're better in acting than being a writer. I'm not healing you. The black eye can be like a battle scar; it'll go well with your _utterly gutsy _character."

Orochimaru snickered, and Jiraiya flushed.

"You can't use that against me!" he whined, "It's not fair!"

He then perked up.

"You really think I should consider acti-"

"NO!" Orochimaru and Tsunade said at once.

"Stick to being a ninja," Orochimaru said.

"And if you want to be a writer – you should wait 'till you're older and actually have stuff to write about. And you shouldn't twist the truth," Tsunade added.

"I think he was being truthful when he said you had pretty-" Orochimaru began, but Jiraiya clamped a hand over his mouth, shaking his head furiously.

"I told you _not _to bring that up again!"

"Tch, whatever," Tsunade snorted, "I know you're too stupid and immature to be into girls anyways, Jiraiya-baka…"

"Yeah," Jiraiya nodded vigorously, looking relieved, "You're totally right."

Orochimaru looked at him strangely, but remained silent.

"Hello," a new voice greeted, and the three ninja whirled around.

"Dan!" Tsunade exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know myself," Dan shrugged, "I was told the Hokage wanted to see me about a mission."

"You have a mission too?" Jiraiya asked disdainfully, "Where's the rest of your squad?"

"They weren't called," Dan said, "I don't know why. What's up with your eye?"

"None of your business," Jiraiya snapped, and then winced as Tsunade elbowed him.

"Don't be so rude to him!" she hissed, but Jiraiya just made a face.

Tsunade then turned to Dan.

"Hey, maybe you have a solo mission or something," she said.

"Yeah right," Jiraiya sniggered, "Why would they give _him _a solo mission?"

"You're probably right, Jiraiya," Dan said politely, "But since none of my squad-"

"If anyone were to get a solo mission it would be Orochimaru or that Hatake," Jiraiya went on, "_Not _him. Or maybe even me-"

"Because you're oh so _gallant_?" Tsunade asked, and Orochimaru snickered.

"Haha, princess, very witty," Jiraiya glared at her, and Dan looked at the three in confusion, "Wanna bet on my book becoming a flop?"

"I'm sure it'll be a bestseller in no time," Orochimaru said.

"Shut up, both of you," Tsunade said, "It's not that funny after the last fifty times you've said it."

"Jiraiya's writing a book?" Dan asked curiously.

"No, I'm not," Jiraiya said flatly, "Inside joke, you see."

"Ah," Dan nodded, and Tsunade gave Jiraiya another nasty look.

Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere was broken when an ANBU guard came out of the Hokage's office.

"Hokage-sama will see you now," the ANBU said.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Yo, sensei," Jiraiya greeted, "How's like treating you?"

"Why are you still wearing the hat if it's not needed?" Tsunade demanded, "I told you, it doesn't go well…"

"Why did you give us a C-rank?" Orochimaru asked, "Are there no B-ranks available?"

"Hello, Hokage-sama," Dan said respectfully, looking rather shocked.

"Life is good, Jiraiya-kun," Hiruzen smiled, taking off his hat, "And no, Orochimaru-kun, no B-ranks."

"What about-" Tsunade began, but Hiruzen smiled, shaking his head.

"No missions to Whirlpool either, Tsunade-chan," he said, "Hello to you too, Dan-kun."

"Where's our mission?" Jiraiya demanded, "It better not be Suna. I'm sick of sand."

If Dan was surprised at the way his fellow Chuunin were talking to the Hokage, he didn't say anything; they were his students after all. Still, to him, the Hokage was someone authoritative, who had to be treated with utmost respect.

"Your mission is in Takigakure, the village hidden in the Waterfalls," Hiruzen stated.

"Waterfall!" Tsunade grinned, "We've never been there!"

"That's so cool!" Jiraiya said, "I bet I'll get inspiration to write something from there!"

"Focus on your mission, Jiraiya-kun," Hiruzen scolded gently, "The books can wait a couple years."

"Who will be accompanying us?" Orochimaru asked.

"Can Biwako-san come?" Tsunade asked, "Please? She was the nicest!"

"Just don't give us that Inuzuka madman again," Jiraiya grumbled ,"He kept setting his stupid dog on me."

"You deserved it," Orochimaru said, "You shouldn't have summoned toads to sit on his head when he was sleeping…"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Jiraiya chuckled.

"Since this is a C-rank mission," Hiruzen raised his voice, "And you are all Chuunin, you don't need a Jounin accompanying you."

There was silence, for a while, as his three students stared at him. Then:

"What? How the hell am I supposed to control both these idiots alone, sensei?"

"Shut up, sucker. This is awesome! It'll be just us three with no adults. We can do whatever we want!"

"It's a mission, baka. We have to complete it. However, for the sake of it being a success, sensei, I suggest we leave this freak behind."

"Hey! Teme! I'll strangle you with my hair!"

"I'd like to see you try-"

"Both of you be quiet, or I'll punch you-"

"SILENCE!" Hiruzen rarely raised his voice, but with his students, it was often necessary, "Jiraiya, do _not _use that jutsu on Orochimaru. Orochimaru, get your arm back to normal, and I warned you not overuse the jutsu. It stretches your muscles, and you'll end up pulling something. Tsunade, I rather like my office, and I'd rather you didn't smash it apart. Also, seeing as you've already given Jiraiya a black eye, its best you don't injure either of your teammates further before a mission."

The three fell silent, Orochimaru retracting his long, stretchy arm, and Jiraiya's long hair shortening to its normal length. Tsunade's arm dropped by her side, and Dan looked on in astonishment.

"I trust that you three would be able to refrain from killing each other and manage a mission without a Jounin there to supervise you," Hiruzen said seriously, "You're Chuunin, and talented enough, but please, no fights on this trip. Dan, who is also Chuunin will be accompanying you as well-"

"WHAT?" Jiraiya bellowed, "WHY?"

Dan looked slightly scared at the prospect of going with the three – he'd never seen them fight before, and they were obviously quite mad.

"Dan will be accompanying you, making this a four-man squad," Hiruzen said, "And I expect you all to cooperate. Jiraiya, that means _you_."

"What did I do?" Jiraiya demanded.

"Biwako told me what happened on that last mission with the client-" Hiruzen said, hiding a smile.

"That was _Orochimaru's _fault!" Jiraiya whined, "I had nothing to do with it!"

"Liar," Orochimaru said immediately, "Sensei, it was all him. You can ask Tsuande, too. I was scouting with her when it happened."

"Whatever it is, I expect you four to complete this mission successfully, without injuring yourselves or annoying the client to the brink of insanity. That means, Jiraiya, no sicking your toad summons on them-"

"That was one time, and she was pissing me off!"

"Orochimaru, no using the Soft Physique Modification unless absolutely necessary, or I will ban you from using it-"

"It _was _necessary!" Orochimaru protested, "He was looking weirdly at Tsunade and someone had to do something to gross him out-"

"Tsunade, no opening random crevices that the client can fall into-"

"He was looking at me weirdly! Oro-kun said it too!"

"And please, for poor Dan-kun's sake, _behave yourselves_." Hiruzen finished.

"Geez, alright, stop preaching us!"

"Yes, sensei."

"Yeah…"

"Good," Hiruzen nodded, "Your client's name is Fu, and she is waiting for you at the gate. You aren't allowed inside the actual village because it's strongly protected-"

"What's the point then!" Jiraiya howled, "I wanted to see a new place!"

"But you will drop her off at a resort nearby, where one of the village's Jounin will be waiting to escort her the rest of the way."

/\/\/\/\/\

Their client, Fu, to their surprise, was a rather young girl, not more than eight nor nine, just a couple years younger than them.

She had spiky mint green hair, orange eyes, and was wearing a white top and skirt, with fishnets.

She was surprisingly sullen-looking for a child, and glared at her escorts when Tsunade attempted to introduce them.

They travelled in relative silence for the first hour or so, leaping through the trees. Tsunade and Dan kept looking back to see if their client was keeping pace, but Fu seemed to have a surprising amount of energy and wasn't tired at all.

"So, what rank are you?" Tsunade asked amicably after awhile, in an attempt to engage the girl in conversation.

"I don't know. I don't even care," Fu said, scowling.

"You must be a Genin. Are you planning to take the Chuunin Exam?" Tsunade continued.

"I'm not allowed to," Fu glared at her.

"Oh," Tsunade looked surprised, "Why – not?"

"The leader in my village said no," Fu spat, "Why are you asking me?"

"I just – never mind," Tsunade said, realizing it was private.

She looked at Jiraiya and Orochimaru, who just shrugged.

"What were you doing in Konoha, Fu?" Dan ventured instead.

"I was kidnapped," Fu said, "By people from my village. They were going to kill me, but some ANBU from your village stopped them. But now my leader wants me to go back."

"I – I'm sorry," Dan was taken aback by this response, and so were the rest of them.

"Why would people from your own village kidnap and kill you?" Jiraiya demanded, "You're a kid! Did your parents piss off someone important or something?"

"My parents are dead," Fu said coldly.

"Oh – uh- I-" Jiraiya sputtered tactlessly, and his teammates both shot him looks telling him to shut up.

"Well then, whatever the reason, I bet those people will get punished really badly," Jiraiya said in an attempt to ease the situation.

"No," Fu spat, her eyes blazing, "They'll get away with it. They're not the first people to have tried killing me."

The four Chuunin were silent at this, wondering what this little girl could have possibly done – and why her own village shinobi would want to kill her.

"I – I'm sorry," Tsunade finally murmured, "It must be hard but – did you do something wrong?"

"I didn't do anything!" Fu snapped, "I never have! But everyone in my village still hates me! None of the kids at the academy talk to me! I don't have any friends! Even the adults and old people look at me like I'm a criminal or a freak!"

"…"

"People try to kill me at least once a month, and I don't know what I've done! They all hate me, but I don't care, 'cause I hate them all even more!"

All attempts at conversation ended after Fu's little outburst. The girl was shaking, trembling with rage, and Tsunade thought she even saw bursts of greenish chakra coming from her, which was a strange sight. However, she soon calmed down, and the five of them continued their way on.

Tsunade saw Orochimaru and Jiraiya, who were a little ahead of her and Dan, murmuring something under their breaths. She raced forwards, catching up with them.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Anything happen?" Dan asked, catching up as well.

"Stay back," Orochimaru looked annoyed, "Two of us have to stay behind the client, and two ahead. Don't break formation."

"It's no big deal, nothing's going to happen," Tsunade rolled her eyes.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru exchanged a look at this, and Tsunade was growing impatient.

"Will you tell me what's going on?" she demanded.

"Come back, Tsunade-chan, and I'll tell you," Orochimaru said.

"I want to know too," Dan said.

"Jiraiya-"

"No. _You _tell him. I'm taking rear guard with Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya said immediately.

Tsunade and Jiraiya fell back, as Orochimaru began to fill in what happened to Dan, in a low voice, so they couldn't hear. Their client leapt on, scowling at everyone and everything in general, though Tsunade thought she saw the girl's orange eyes shining oddly.

Tsunade felt terrible for the child – it must be horrible, if the entire village hated her. The Uchiha clan hated Tsunade, and that was bad enough, since she never had done anything to them directly, so had always wondered why as a child. But still, the rest of the village adored her and treated her like royalty – Fu's life seemed unimaginable, and Tsunade wondered what the girl could have possibly done.

"Orochimaru and I think this mission is actually B-rank," Jiraiya said softly, "Which is why we need to be more alert and careful, keep our eyes open for enemies."

"Why do you think that?" Tsunade asked, confused.

"Tsunade-chan, this girl just told us that she was kidnapped. She's had multiple attempts on her life. Obviously, she's more than just some kid – she's either dangerous, or very important, and if her own village is out to get her, that makes our mission much riskier than it seems," Jiraiya said seriously, sounding surprisingly wise.

"Alright, I'll be careful, but I don't get why they would _lie _about it," Tsunade said, "If their village leader knew she was in risk of being attacked, why didn't they classify the mission as B-rank?"

"They probably didn't want to pay," Jiraiya muttered, "B-ranks are nearly double the price, and most villages are pretty stingy. We should be fine, since we're all Chuunin, but we'll still have to be careful with this girl."

"Alright," Tsunade nodded, marveling at the seriousness of both her teammates.

They carried on for a few hours, speaking under their voices and eyeing their client cautiously.

Orochimaru came back after fifteen minutes.

"What happened?" Jiraiya asked, smirking, "Got bored of Danny-boy?"

"Exchange places with me," Orochimaru ordered, "I don't want to make conversation with him pointlessly. It's awkward."

"Well neither do I," Jiraiya said, "Just go back to the front, and stop being so asocial. It's not like you two have anything to talk about, so you can just shut up and be happy."

"He's trying to make conversation with me," Orochimaru said, "It's annoying."

"You're _such _an idiot at times, honestly," Tsunade shook her head, "It's not like you talk to anyone other than me, Jiraiya and sensei anyhow, Orochimaru. And Dan's nice."

"He's boring," Jiraiya said immediately, "That's why I sent _you _up front. You can be boring together."

"Jiraiya just go," Tsunade said exasperatedly.

"Why don't _you _go if you think he's so nice?" Jiraiya snapped.

"Because I don't want to leave you two idiots together," Tsunade said exasperatedly, "Sensei told me to keep an eye on you."

"We won't do anything," Orochimaru said monotonously, "Just go. You're messing up the formation."

"I'm messing it up!" Tsunade snapped, "You're the one who came back here because you were bored! Fine! Stay with Jiraiya! But if either of you two do anything idiotic, I'll break your bones!"

With that threat, she leapt in front, picking up her pace to meet up with Dan.

/\/\/\/\/\

Things went surprisingly smoothly for the next two hours. Tsunade and Dan spoke for awhile, and Tsunade would turn around every few minutes to check on her teammates.

Orochimaru and Jiraiya just gave her weird looks, shaking their heads, and continued talking. They didn't seem to be up to anything bad – fighting, or conspiring against the client, which Tsunade was sure they wouldn't do since the poor girl obviously had enough troubles as it is.

The peace was short-lived, however.

"AAAARGH!"

Tsunade and Dan whirled around, kunai and shuriken in hand, expecting to see an enemy.

Instead, they saw a rather queer sight, of Orochimaru sailing through the air, his face contorted into an expression of utmost agony, while Jiraiya had stopped on a tree branch, and was holding his sides, doubling up in laughter.

"YOU ASSHOLE!" Orochimaru raged, landing on a tree branch, and leaping at Jiraiya, his arm rapidly elongating.

Fu watched the exchange in awe – she seemed to be holding back giggles, and her small face was shining in mirth, making her look far younger and more pleasant then before.

Orochimaru lunged at Jiraiya, arm outstretched, and Jiraiya, who was laughing too hard, couldn't dodge. Soon, Orochimaru was slowly strangling his teammate, and Jiraiya's face was turning purple, his eyes bulging out.

Tsunade knew Orochimaru would stop before it got serious – they always fought like that – but still, this was _ridiculous._

BAM!

The tree branch cracked, and both boys fell to the ground.

"What the _hell _do you think you're doing?" Tsunade raged, "I told you two _not _to fight!"

"Yes, but he – he – he-" Orochimaru was unable to form a coherent sentence in his range, and pounced at a still chortling Jiraiya.

This time Dan stopped him, rapidly jumping in the middle and using a wind jutsu to push both of them apart.

"Stay out of this," Orochimaru hissed, "Let me at him!"

"Alright!" Tsunade shouted, landing down as well, and using her super-strength to grab Jiraiya's collar, she shook him, "_What did you do this time Jiraiya?"_

"I was just testing my new jutsu," Jiraiya grinned, eyes sparkling, "It's called One Thousand Years of Death."

"What kind of _name _is _that_?" Dan made a face.

"No one asked for your opinion," Jiraiya shot back.

"Yeah well, Jiraiya's never been good with titling things," Orochimaru muttered, glaring at Jiraiya murderously. Tsunade noticed he was walking rather strangely – bow-legged in fact.

"Don't even go there!" Jiraiya snapped, "That's why this started. You made fun of my book, and I told you I'd extract revenge. Now I just did."

"Fine," Orochimaru said, "But couldn't you have – found – a less – _you're absolutely sick! That was wrong!"_

"What did he do, Oro-kun?" Tsunade asked in exasperation.

"Ask – ask him!" Orochimaru seemed to revolted to say anything.

"That was such a cool jutsu!" a childish, laughing voice said, and they turned to see Fu, who was clapping.

"Can you teach it to me?" she asked Jiraiya.

"See," Jiraiya looked proud, "I made the client laugh. Bonus points to me, I think."

"I'll kill you," Orochimaru vowed, muttering something under his breath.

Tsunade caught the words 'sick' and 'wrong' and 'disgusting'.

"What did he do?" Tsunade turned to their client, who was now smiling gleefully.

"Oh, it wasn't actually a jutsu," Fu giggled, "He just used the tiger-seal to give him a chakra-powered poke right up his –" she burst into giggles again, unable to complete her sentence, and Jiraiya looked rather proud.

Tsunade looked at Orochimaru, who was still muttering under his breath and glaring at Jiraiya, before putting two and two together.

"You're sick," she informed Jiraiya, "And so is your stupid new jutsu."

"Oh, shut up, I'm just creative," Jiraiya said, "And you have to admit, bastard deserved it. We're even now."

"You two sure fight a lot," Dan commented, and both Jiraiya and Orochimaru stared at him.

"Truce?" Jiraiya whispered under his breath.

Orochimaru smirked evilly.

"Come on, we've wasted enough time," Tsunade said firmly, feeling like a mother scolding two irascible children, "Let's go. Orochimaru, take front-guard with Dan."

"But-" Orochimaru began.

"No, you will _not _be with Jiraiya," Tsunade snapped, "The two of you cannot be trusted."

"Have fun," Jiraiya told him, before lowering his voice, "We'll decide later, okay?"

"Yeah," Orochimaru nodded, and the five of them set off again.

"Jiraiya," Tsunade said warningly, and Jiraiya winced at her tone.

"What?" he asked defensively.

"You and Orochimaru better not be planning to do anything to Dan tonight."

"Wha – what makes you think we would, Tsunade-chan!"

"… seriously, just give him a chance."

"Yeah, yeah."

/\/\/\/\/\

They finally stopped for rest, after running non-stop for a good few hours. Fu seemed in a rather good mood, and was watching Jiraiya and Orochimaru with interest, as if waiting for them to do something. Tsunade was watching them sharply as well, for the same reason. Whenever they caught her eye, they just looked at her innocently, which convinced Tsunade all the more that they were up to something. That, and the fact that they hadn't fought with each other for three hours; which usually meant they were plotting against _someone else._

"Be careful of my stupid teammates," Tsunade warned Dan, "They may try to prank you."

"Thanks," Dan smiled, "But I'm used to it, really, with my sister. So it's fine."

Dan and Tsunade then busied themselves with preparing the fire, until Orochimaru gestured Tsunade over.

"We're going to have to take guard duty," Orochimaru said, "In case we're attacked at night, or someone tries to kidnap her again. I'd suggest we do it in pairs."

"In which case, I call dibs on Orochimaru," Jiraiya said immediately.

Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"Why do you two hate Dan so much?" she asked, "He's really nice."

"I don't hate him," Orochimaru said, "I just don't – know him."

"And he won't bother with people he doesn't know," Jiraiya piped up.

"Okay, I get that," Tsunade said, "But what the hell is your problem, Jiraiya? You've been rude to him ever since he joined us. He's not even done anything to you!"

"Hey, I'm allowed to dislike one person," Jiraiya said, "You dislike the entire Uchiha clan, and that's over fifty people."

"I do _not_!" Tsunade protested.

"If it was Akako Uchiha in place of him right now, you'd be worse than-"

"That's because their clan head tried to kill my grandfather! And he was always rude to me at the academy!" Tsunade hissed, "Dan hasn't ever –"

"Whatever, I just don't like him," Jiraiya said, "Don't ask me why, but I don't. I would have much preferred Sakumo Hatake on this mission, he's a cool guy. But Dan's too – wishy-washy."

Orochimaru smiled slightly at this, and Tsunade looked at him incredulously.

"You're ridiculous," she told Jiraiya, before sighing, "And I'll take guard duty with Dan."

"You're welcome," Jiraiya said, grinning, "Don't make it seem like you're doing us a favor, Tsunade-chan. We know you secretly want to have alooone time…"

He waggled his eyebrows, and Tsunade made a face, thwacking him on the head before she went back to where Dan was poking at the fire.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Oro-teme and me will do first watch," Jiraiya said benevolently, as they bought their sleeping bags out.

"That's generous," Tsunade said, "But rather strange. Are you sure you two aren't up to something?"

"What could we possible do, Tsunade-hime?" Orochimaru asked innocently.

"Yeah, we already promised sensei we wouldn't summon anything, or use Oro's stupid rubberband jutsu-"

"Stop calling it that! It's Soft Physique Modifica-"

"Yeah, whatever. So see, Tsunade-chan, there's nothing we can do!"

"You better not try your perverted jutsu or Dan," Tsunade said, eyes flashing, "Or _me_ for that matter."

"I'd never try it on you!" Jiraiya looked horrified, "You're a _girl_! That's wrong!"

"And doing it on _me _was alright?" Orochimaru asked in indignation.

"You're not trying it on Dan _either,_" Tsunade specified, glaring.

"Fine, fine," Jiraiya grumbled, exchanging a disappointed look with Orochimaru, "I won't _touch _your precious Dan."

"And you expect me to believe that?" Tsunade asked.

"I promise," Jiraiya said sincerely, and Tsunade turned to Orochimaru.

"I wouldn't want to touch him anyway," Orochimaru pointed out.

"Fine," Tsunade relented, shooting them one more suspicious look, and stalking off.

"Damn," Jiraiya muttered to Orochimaru, "Plan A's gone bust."

/\/\/\/\/\

"AAAARGH!"

Tsunade woke up, her heart racing, and almost instinctively gathered chakra to her fist.

"What is it?" she cried, jumping out of her sleeping bag, "What's happening?"

"Get – off!" Dan was yelling, slashing at something with a kunai.

Something long and thin and white, which was strangling him.

"Jiraiya," Tsunade growled, "_What did I tell you?"_

Dan attempted to chop of the white hair, but couldn't since it was chakra-enforced.

"Let go of him now, Jiraiya!" Tsunade hollered, "Or I'll punch your face in!"

"Fine," Jiraiya muttered, retracting his hair till it was back to its normal spikes, "Kill-joy…"

Seconds later, however, a large snake erupted from nowhere, composed entirely of water.

"_Orochimaru!" _Tsunade shouted, but Dan was already up, his hand glowing with crackling chakra, and he sliced the serpent's head off, and it splashed to the ground.

Fu, who had woken up amidst the commotion, was laughing merrily.

"You idiots!" Tsunade shrieked, "How could you-"

"We promised not to touch him, and technically we didn't," Jiraiya said gleefully, "So you can't – hey, Orochimaru, let it go, she's pissed already!"

A large figure emerged, composed of water – though it was more of a dragon than a serpent.

"I'm not doing anything!" Orochimaru said, unsheathing his katana with a glimmer of silver, "We're being attacked!"

Immediately, all four Chuunin leapt into place around Fu, their backs to her, surrounding her from all sides.

"Tsunade, Dan," Orochimaru said, "Take Fu and run. Jiraiya and I will hold them off."

"We may be outnumbered," Dan countered, "It may not be a good idea to leave you two alone-"

"We'll manage," Jiraiya said shortly, slamming a bleeding palm to the ground, "Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

Tsunade was surprised at his speed – she hadn't even noticed him make the seals.

"We need to get the girl out of here," Orochimaru urged, "That's more important."

Gamabunta appeared with a poof of smoke, along with two, slightly smaller toads.

"Just go!" Jiraiya yelled, "And Dan you better keep her safe!"

"Of course we will," Tsunade said for him.

"I meant _you_, idiot!"

"Wha – I don't need protection!" Tsunade began, but Dan had grabbed her wrist, and pulled her upwards.

One of Jiraiya's toads was hopping along with them, Fu clutching tightly to its back.

They raced away, and Tsunade noticed that Orochimaru had created a shadow clone, which was henged to look like Fu. Though Tsunade didn't like the idea of splitting up, in the circumstances, it was the best option, especially if these ninja had come to assassinate Fu, something which the girl claimed had happened before.

Tsunade quickly created her own shadow clone, dividing her chakra evenly, so that it could stay and help her teammates. Dan created one as well, and it joined the others, just as three enemy ninja leapt out towards where Jiraiya and Orochimaru were.

Tsunade, Dan and their client raced through the forest, pumping chakra to their feet. They didn't stop for at least half an hour, until Tsunade suddenly felt her clone dispel, as memories flooded back to her. Dan paused as well, apparently experiencing the same thing. Then –

"We won," Dan said, heaving a sigh of relief.

"Yeah," Tsunade nodded, recalling the fight through her clone's memory.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru had pummeled the ninja with their ninjutsu and Gamabunta's ninjutsu, as Dan's clone aided with explosive tags and weaponry. Finally, Tsunade's clone punched the entire lot into a large crater, where Dan's clone used razor wire to tie them up. Orochimaru and Jiraiya had then dispelled the clones by punching them, before speeding off in the direction where Tsunade and Dan currently were.

"Don't wait for us, we'll catch up," Orochimaru had told the clones.

"Come on," Dan said, "Let's go."

He turned to Fu, who was shaking, her face pale.

"Don't worry, they've been dealt with," Dan told her gently, "It's alright."

/\/\/\/\/\

Jiraiya and Orochimaru caught up with them in twenty minutes, and Jiraiya sent his toad back. Fu looked disappointed – she seemed to have enjoyed riding on the creature.

"Thanks for watching my back," Jiraiya muttered to Dan, who raised an eyebrow.

"Your clone," Jiraiya said, though it was obvious the words pained him, "He deflected a couple of stray water bullets from hitting me. So thanks."

"No problem," Dan replied casually, and Tsunade bit back a smile.

"Let's just carry on, since we're awake," Orochimaru said, sounding on edge, "I don't think it's a good idea taking a break, considering what just happened."

"Yeah, you're right," Dan agreed, "It was actually – fortunate we were all already awake thanks to your – silly prank – otherwise we would have been ambushed."

"See," Jiraiya stuck his tongue out at Tsunade, "I made Fu laugh _and _I busted the enemy's ambush. How awesome am I?"

"_Utterly _awesome," Tsunade replied scathingly, and Jiraiya flushed at the allusion to his 'book'.

They began the journey again, though this time Tsunade bullied Jiraiya into taking front-guard with Dan. Jiraiya finally agreed, though rather resentfully – since Dan had watched his back in battle, he owed him _some _courtesy now.

"Oro-kun," Tsunade whispered, as the group travelled on, "The shinobi who ambushed us – did you get a look at their forehead protectors?"

"Waterfall," Orochimaru whispered back, confirming Tsunade's fear.

Her heart sank, and she looked ahead at Fu, who was leaping through the branches, short green hair whipping behind her.

It was so sad, that the girl's own villagers would try and murder her.

Tsunade didn't understand.

/\/\/\/\/\

They arrived at the resort five hours later. It was in a beautiful location – the foot of a lush valley full of gurgling waterfalls, and Tsunade was sorely tempted to make a stopover.

They went inside the resort, but couldn't find a single Waterfall shinobi anywhere. The place was owned by civilians from Waterfall, and Tsunade noticed the receptionist and some of the other civilians send weird looks at Fu.

Most of the looks were nasty, a mixture of fear and absolutely hatred. They were chilling, and Tsunade couldn't understand why. Fu, however, seemed used to such treatment, and ignored all the glances she was getting, her nose high in the air.

They walked past the hot springs, and the lounge, reaching the outside of a room that looked rather like a bar. There were two men inside, squabbling over something. A large case rested on the table.

"We can't go in, we're barely eleven," Dan said immediately.

"Meh, no one is here to see," Jiraiya said carelessly, "Besides, those two guys look like they're up to something. Maybe one of them is her escort…"

The Chuunin crouched outside the room, straining their ears to hear the conversation that was going on.

"I don't have any money!" one of the voices protested, "Lost it all gambling with some damn Kumo nin over the results of that last Chuunin Exam!"

"You said you were being paid by higher-ups in the village to assassinate the seven-tails jinchuuriki," another gruff voice barked back.

Fu stiffened at his voice, though the four Chuunin exchanged a confused look.

_Jinchuuriki, _Tsunade mused, _where have I heard that word…_

"Well, it didn't work," the man said, "She escaped. There were four kids guarding her or something, and my men were incapacitated."

"Your men were beaten by kids? What losers," the gruff voice replied condescendingly.

"Well, all three of them just Chuunin, and never that skilled to begin with. I promise, next time, we'll get the money somehow, and I'll pay you-"

"You've been saying that time and again! Yet, you owe me 90,000 ryu! You should stop betting if you can't pay back your damn debts!"

"I promise, the next mission will be a success! I'll get you your money – just wait for awhile, and take the half of it now…"

CRASH!

Tsunade jumped at the loud noise, and so did her teammates.

"What's going on?" one of the men inside the room barked.

They heard footsteps, and four Chuunin and Fu immediately leapt away, hiding behind the furniture as the two men hurried out of the hallway. One of them was carrying a black case with him, and had a forehead protector with the mark of some village Tsunade didn't recognize. The second man, who appeared rather nervous, had a Waterfall headband.

CRASH! BOOM!

There were screams, and Tsunade tensed up – it seemed like someone had broken into the resort.

"Let's find that man and get out of here," Jiraiya said, but Tsunade narrowed her eyes, her mind processing the information they'd just learnt.

Then, several things clicked into place.

She _had _heard of jinchuuriki before; civilians and ninja alike had been whispering about them during the First World War, but Hiruzen had forbade her and her teammates from asking about them.

Secondly, the four kids who had beaten the three Chuunin, which the man had been referring to, were _them. _Which meant that the man with the Waterfall forehead protector had sent his men to kill Fu.

This also meant that Fu was a jinchuuriki – though Tsunade wasn't sure what that meant. She didn't understand the part about 'seven-tails' either. However, from the way the men had been talking, and the way the civilians and ninja had whispered fearfully about jinchuuriki during the war, Tsunade could tell that it meant that Fu was dangerous, far more dangerous than she looked.

It was also likely that Waterfall had lied to Konoha, and not revealed this bit of information, like Jiraiya said, to make the mission seem safer than it was so they wouldn't have to pay. After the ambush (which according to Fu wasn't the first time she had been attacked, meaning the Waterfall leader should have also expected it) it was obvious that this mission was at least B-rank.

Finally, the man with the Waterfall forehead protector was the one who had ordered men to kill Fu. If he was the shinobi who was supposed to escort Fu back to Waterfall, he would probably try killing her himself. There was no way they could leave the little girl with him.

Tsunade quickly told this to Orochimaru, who nodded. He seemed to have figured out as much too.

The loud sounds continued, with more noise, and they quietly crept out, masking their chakra. Orochimaru had drawn his katana, and Tsunade kept her senbon ready. Jiraiya and Dan had both taken out kunai and shuriken.

When they reached the lobby, they were met with a horrific sight.

Several civilians, as well as the receptionist lay slumped on the floor; they didn't seem dead, but they certainly had been knocked out. The entire place had been ripped apart, as if by a tornado. The two ninja they had heard arguing earlier also seemed to be unconscious, slumped over a large armchair, and there were weird black threads hanging from their bodies.

Two more shinobi, wearing wooden masks and sleek clothing (Tsunade assumed they were the ANBU of the Waterfall village) were fighting a large, dark-skinned shinobi, their movements lightning fast.

The shinobi seemed dangerous – extremely dangerous, from what Tsunade saw of him. He was wearing dark clothing and a mask which covered most of his face, though Tsunade could make out blood shot eyes with eerie green irises. He was carrying a large scroll – which considering the ANBU's attack patterns – was what they were after. Perhaps he had stolen it?

"We should go," Dan murmured, "There's obviously something serious going on here-"

Meanwhile, Fu had shrunk back, and was trembling.

The ANBU charged at the dark-skinned man with katana, and after exchanging a few blows with him, managed to stab him near the chest. However, to their surprise, the man didn't fall down, but pulled away, black threads shooting out from his chest and covering up the wound. He kicked hard at the ANBU, sending him flying across the room, before grabbing his scroll, a large bag which Tsunade noticed seemed to be stuffed with currency notes, and the black case the men in the bar had with them. He made a hand seal, probably some kind of a space-time jutsu, and the black case and bag disappeared with a poof. Milliseconds later, he was out, speeding away from the ruined resort, one of the ANBU hot in pursuit.

The other one, who had been knocked against the wall got up, rather unsteadily, chakra glowing from his fingertips. Tsunade immediately recognized the form of medical ninjutsu as one used for healing broken bones.

The ANBU then made a few hand seals, and another masked man appeared beside him, with a poof.

They spoke in low voices, which carried over the otherwise eerie silence.

"Kakuzu's escaped with the kinjutsu scroll," one of them murmured, "Only my companion is following him now."

"Damnit!" the other swore, "I'll have back-up sent. Which direction did he go?"

The injured shinobi pointed, and the other ANBU nodded.

"How are the elders?" the injured shinobi asked.

"All dead. He killed them."

"…the _swine_."

"Yes, we'll deal with that later. Leader's more concerned about the jinchuuriki's whereabouts – have you heard anything? I was told Konoha is escorting her till here."

"We haven't heard of her yet. The shinobi who was supposed to escort her from here to the village has been incapacitated by Kakuzu, though I thought I sensed the seven-tail chakra earlier."

"Good riddance if he's done her in," the other ANBU muttered.

"Don't say that. You know leader-sama considers her a powerful weapon."

"Still, what's the point of a weapon that can turn against you? I'll report, and send back-up, though I doubt we can catch Kakuzu if he's learnt the scroll's forbidden techniques. Hopefully your friend will be able to retrieve it. Come back to the village once you've healed yourself."

"Hai."

There was a puff of smoke, and the ANBU disappeared.

Fu was shaking more now, her hands clenched, sparks of green chakra emanating from her randomly.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jiraiya asked her, but she said nothing.

The ANBU seemed to sense her presence, and after healing his leg, leapt over to where they were hiding.

"You're the Konoha ninja responsible for escorting this child?" the ANBU asked.

"Y-yes," Tsunade nodded, "But-"

"You've done a good job bringing her here," the ANBU said, "I'll take her from here on."

"But – we were supposed to – give her to-" Tsunade began, but the ANBU cut her off smoothly.

"Since you probably overheard our conversation, you will now know that the Jounin in charge of escorting her is incapacitated. However, I am heading to the village and will take custody of her myself. Come on, you," the ANBU nodded at Fu.

Fu looked angry, more sparks of chakra coming from her body.

"But – we –" Tsunade began, but Orochimaru's hand was at her wrist.

She turned to him, and he shook his head, almost imperceptibly.

Tsunade sighed, understanding the unspoken message and said nothing. Jiraiya, however, was another matter altogether.

"She was nearly murdered!" he exploded, "We were attacked by shinobi from _your _village on the way! And we also heard _that _man say he wanted to kill her, and he was supposed to be her escort! How the hell do we trust you? And why are you all after this poor kid anyways-"

The ANBU paused, apparently startled by Jiraiya's revelation, but they couldn't be sure since his face was covered. When he spoke, his voice was even but had a stern edge to it.

"I don't know why the Jounin would want to have this child killed, but I will have that matter investigated. The rest of it is none of your concern. It's a matter of our village. You have done your job, so you can leave."

"What do you mean none of your concern?" Jiraiya raged, and Orochimaru and Tsunade didn't even try holding him back, "She's our client! And why do you – why can't you call her by her name? She's a _human being, _not some kind of – of an animal!"

Fu, who was still trembling, looked at Jiraiya in amazement.

"I am telling you one last time," the ANBU said warningly, "Your mission is over. This is something that does not concern mere children like you. _Leave _or you will regret it."

"Jiraiya, come on," Tsunade murmured, pulling at his hand, "We can't do anything, he _is _a Waterfall ANBU-"

"This is _disgusting_!" Jiraiya argued, "She told us how you treat her? How could you possibly do that to one of your _own _shinobi?"

The ANBU, however, paid him no heed, grabbing Fu's hand.

Fu was still shaking in anger, but seemed to calm down slightly. To the surprise of all four Chuunin, she smiled shyly at Jiraiya, waving her hand.

"Good-bye," she called, and Tsunade had a horrible feeling it was the first time she'd ever addressed anyone so _normally._

They disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Tsunade and Orochimaru both sighed.

"Come on, we're done here," Orochimaru said, placing a hand on Jiraiya's shoulder, "Come on, Jiraiya."

/\/\/\/\/\

They reached Konoha the next evening, though the journey back hadn't been quite as amusing or incidental as the journey there. All four of them were in a somber mood, especially Jiraiya who was unusually quiet. They didn't feel the usual sense of accomplishment after completing a mission, and all of them, though they didn't speak of it, were worrying about the fate of the little girl Fu.

When they reached the Hokage Tower, both Tsunade and Orochimaru exchanged a look. Jiraiya, was surely going to explode.

/\/\/\/\/\

"And the way they were referring to her!" Jiraiya ranted on, "They never called her by her name! It was just _sick_! And she was so scared, and how could they _possibly _order the murder of a _child_! She didn't do anything wrong!"

Hiruzen sat, with his hands folded, waiting patiently for Jiraiya to continue. When he finally finished his rant, he nodded at the other three.

"Anything you'd like to add?" Hiruzen asked.

"Well – Jiraiya kind of spoke for us all," Tsunade admitted, "Why, though, sensei? Why were they like that? And what are these jinchuuriki? I heard about them during the war, and asked you, but you said-"

"I said it's not something that should be discussed," Hiruzen said, "And I maintain that even now-"

"But-"

"However," Hiruzen interjected gently, "Since you all have witnessed such stigma and behavior, I think I will have to tell you. I assume you are all familiar with the nine tailed beasts?"

"Yes," Orochimaru said, "We learnt about them in the academy. They all disappeared ten years back or something, right?"

"They did not disappear," Hiruzen corrected, sighing, "And what I am about to tell you, I expect you to keep quiet, and not reveal to anyone."

"Who would we tell?" Jiraiya asked.

"Dan," Hiruzen prompted.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Dan flushed, "I – won't tell my teammates either."

"This is a serious matter, you must all understand, and I regret having to tell you. However, considering your recent mission, I have no choice."

"Go on," Jiraiya prompted, growing impatient.

"The tailed beasts never disappeared. They were sealed into human beings."

There were gasps at this, and Tsunade covered her mouth in shock.

"These human beings were known as jinchuuriki, and contained the beasts within them. However, you must realize, that in _no _way, did this make the jinchuuriki bad, or evil, or _demonic _in any way possible."

"So – so Fu," Jiraiya said, eyes wide, "She was – a jinchuuriki?"

"Apparently," Hiruzen nodded gravely, "Though I'll have to have a word with Waterfall's leader regarding that. Escorting a jinchuuriki is an A-rank mission at the least. You four are extremely lucky you escaped unscathed."

"But why – why would they all hate her?" Jiraiya asked.

"Because they don't understand," Hiruzen said sadly, "Jinchuuriki are often terribly misunderstood. People tend to confuse them with the demon itself, and treat them as such. Hence, they are shunned from society-"

"Yeah, Fu was saying she wasn't allowed to take the Chuunin exams," Tsunade murmured.

"Yes, it's possible," Hiruzen said, looking grim, "It's the tragedy of jinchuuriki. They aren't demons themselves, but in fact _saviors, _keeping the demons inside their bodies to prevent them from hurting others. Yet they are treated cruelly, as you four may have witnessed. I am sorry you had to see that at this age, but it's one of the cold realities of the ninja world."

"How is that even possible to seal them though?" Orochimaru asked, "Don't the demons have way too much chakra for any human being to contain? Wouldn't they just – die?"

"And what happened during the war?" Tsunade asked.

"Does Konoha have a jinchuuriki?" Jiraiya wanted to know, eyes wide.

"I'm sorry," Hiruzen said gravely, "But that is the extent of this discussion. I will not reveal anything more to you, and I expect you not to ask me again in the future. You will learn of it, if the times come, but until then, just try to realize that there are people like Fu, living unfortunate existence, so that people like us can be safe from the demons. Well done on your mission, and you are dismissed."

"Hokage-sama?" Dan asked, as the other three turned to leave, "May I ask you just one thing?"

"What is it?" Hiruzen surveyed him from his hat.

"When we were at the resort – the Waterfall ANBU said something about a man named Kakuzu who had stolen some special scroll – we saw him with our own eyes…"

"Then you should be even gladder you are alive," Hiruzen said, suddenly tense, "I just heard about the situation from Waterfall yesterday. Kakuzu is a missing-nin, who defected from Waterfall. That scroll he stole was their secret kinjutsu. He's on the run now, though no one knows where he is. But you should be – _Kakuzu – _I need a word with Waterfall's leader _now_," Hiruzen was muttering.

"Sensei, is something wrong?" Tsunade asked, wide-eyed, "He didn't actually kill anyone. At least they didn't look dead…"

"Tsunade, Kakuzu was once ordered to kill your grandfather," Hiruzen said suddenly, "He failed his mission, and was imprisoned by Waterfall thereafter. He probably defected out of anger, and it's fortunate that he didn't see _you _because from what I know, he holds a grudge against not only his village, but also the entire Senju clan."

"I – oh," Tsunade bit her lip, not knowing what to say.

"Great. Another nutter who hates the Senju," Jiraiya grumbled, "Like the Uchiha weren't enough."

"Jiraiya," Hiruzen said sharply, "That's enough. Do not speak of the Uchiha clan so loosely."

"Yeah, yeah," Jiraiya said, "Sorry."

"I heard the ANBU said he killed the village elders," Orochimaru said.

"Yes, he did, and that's more than you four should know," Hiruzen nodded, "Now you may leave, please. I have some political matters I have to attend to."

/\/\/\/\/\

"He sent us out so he could yell at the Waterfall guy," Jiraiya said, "I know it."

"Well, it would be well-deserved," Dan admitted.

"Yeah, well…" Jiraiya trailed off, woebegone, "I still feel bad about Fu."

"So do I," Tsunade said, patting his arm, "But there's nothing we can do."

"That's what sucks," Jiraiya muttered, kicking a pebble, "And apparently she's not the only one."

"We shouldn't discuss it," Dan said softly, "Hokage-sama said not to."

"I wish I knew if there was one in Konoha," Jiraiya said, "I doubt there is, but if there was, I'd go out of my way to be friends with the kid…"

"How can you assume it's a kid?" Orochimaru asked.

"Dan's right," Tsunade said loudly, "We shouldn't discuss it. Come on…"

/\/\/\/\/\

Dan left a few minutes later, after they bumped into Hikari Hyuuga, his teammate. Tsunade, Jiraiya and Orochimaru trudged along, all three of them unusually quiet and sad.

Jiraiya was the worse, and Tsunade and Orochimaru exchanged a worried look. Then, Orochimaru spoke, lips twitching.

"Hey, Tsunade-hime," he said, "You know that guy who was in debt after losing all that money betting?"

"This better not be what I think it is," Tsunade growled, glaring at Orochimaru.

Jiraiya perked up, a smile finally lighting up his face.

"Yeah, he's write, Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya said, "That could be you one day!"

"_Baka!"_

"Learn from him," Orochimaru said solemnly, "And _never ever _bet using money. Trust me, you'll lose an A-rank mission's worth of cash in one go-"

"Shut up!" Tsunade yelled, but Jiraiya was laughing, and gradually, the dark mood faded away.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Tsunade-hime," one of the maids greeted, as Tsunade reached home.

She, Orochimaru and Jiraiya had all parted ways to go home, after a quick dinner.

"Hello," Tsunade nodded, looking around. Her house was unusually quiet.

"Where is everyone?" she asked.

"That's what I have to tell you, Tsunade-hime," the maid said, smiling, "I was told to tell you to go to the hospital. Your kaa-san, Tsunade-hime, she is having her baby!"

Seconds later, Tsunade had raced out of the house, and was jumping along the rooftops, as fast as her legs could carry her.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Where's my mom?" Tsunade gasped, as she reached the reception, "Tsukiko Senju, she's here having-"

"Room 432," the receptionist said immediately, smiling.

Considering they were Senju, pretty much all the staff at the hospital would know her location.

"Thanks," Tsunade panted, before speeding off again.

"Congratulations!" the receptionist called behind her.

When Tsunade burst into the room, three figures turned to look at her.

"Kaa-san!" Tsunade squealed, "Tou-san, Obaa-san! Can I see him?"

Her mother smiled, pushing a few sweaty platinum blonde bangs away from her forehead, and Tsunade noticed she had a kind of a glow around her – despite being sweaty and messy-haired, she looked more beautiful than ever in Tsunade's eyes.

Her father was beaming as well, his eyes crinkling and Mito was smiling serenely, holding a small bundle in her arms.

"Here, Tsunade-chan," Mito said softly, "Meet Nawaki."

Tsunade walked forwards slowly, extending her arms.

"May I?" she asked, and Mito gently lowered the bundle into her arms.

Tsunade's heart leapt, a warm, fuzzy feeling flooding her body, as she gazed down at the warm little baby in her arms.

He was a chubby, red-faced little thing, with wisps of brown hair. His eyes, however, were the same honey-tint of Tsunade and her father, and he was currently staring at her, blinking.

"Hi, Nawaki," Tsunade whispered, "It's me, Tsunade. I'm your big sister now!"

Nawaki blinked again, and Tsunade sat on the edge of her mother's bed, heart pounding. Nawaki was warm and soft in her arms, and she tentatively offered him a finger.

He stared at her, before grabbing it with his tiny, chubby fingers.

Tsunade felt tears well up in her eyes.

"He – he's precious," she gasped, smiling, "Nawaki, you're precious."

/\/\/\/\/\

Jiraiya, Orochimaru and Hiruzen-sensei all came over the next day after training to see the baby. Tsunade had gushed about him the entire training session, and they hadn't actually gotten much work done.

"He's tiny," Jiraiya observed, staring at the infant.

"He's got the same eyes as you, Tsunade-hime," Orochimaru said, peering over the cot and offering a pale, slim finger to Nawaki.

Nawaki gripped it tightly, and made a gurgling noise.

"Oh, he likes you!" Tsunade said, clapping in delight, "That's sweet!"

"Bet he likes me more," Jiraiya said, shoving his hand into the cot, "Hey, Nawaki! What's up, kiddo? I'm Jiraiya the Gallant, and I'm one of the greatest ninja ever."

Nawaki, however, was occupied with Orochimaru, and Jiraiya withdrew his hand, grumbling.

"Oh, do you think when he grows older one of you could be his sensei?" Tsunade begged, eyes wide, "Hiruzen-sensei, don't you think that would be great!"

"Indeed it would, but there's a long time for that," Hiruzen said, smiling gently.

Later that day, Dan and Kasumi came by to visit as well. So did many of the clan-heads, including the Hyuuga, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Nara and Kurama. The Uchiha, Tsunade noted, did not care to pay a visit – not that she cared.

Izumi came by later in the day too, with her mother and a small baby boy with light brown hair and blue eyes, Inoichi Yamanaka.

"They'll be enrolled in academy together," Izumi said excitedly, "Like us! So will little Shikaku Nara and Chouza Akimichi! Isn't that great!"

"Yeah," Tsunade agreed, stroking Inoichi's fat cheek with a finger, "It'll be pretty awesome…"

She couldn't wait until Nawaki grew up and starting going to the academy. She was sure he'd be a _splendid _ninja.

/\/\/\/\/\

_A/N – End of part 5. Thank you for reading, and please review to let me know what you think! _

_Next chapter is where their – relationship really starts to get interesting… did anyone see a hint of crush where Jiraiya was concerned here? Maybe he's in denial right now, but his true feelings shall soon surface ;) _

_Oh, and the bit about Kakuzu's defection after failing to kill Hashirama, and Fu being ostracized and mistreated by Waterfall is all canon, from the manga and the anime._


	6. Kuchiyose no Jutsu!

_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto_

_Author's Note – Sorry it's been awhile, but I've been extremely busy with exams and then trips and parties and whatnot. But I finally am back, and I intend to have a couple chapters up in quick succession! _

_I'd like to thank everyone whose read, favorited and reviwed __ It means a lot! _

_Special thanks to __**CarlaFox1997, LadyGagadriel, Soraya the All Speaker, ninjapirate, anonymous reviwer, ayumwu, candykiwis, eternalrose24, K, BleedItOut **__and __**Kellogsricekrispies2450 **__for your kind and encouraging words! I appreciated them tremendously, and frankly, they gave me the will to continue this even though I got a bit bored in the middle!_

_In case you have lost track, the Sannin are between 11 and 12 in this chapter._

_Enjoy and please review! _

/\/\/\/\/\

"I hope you're warmed up and have conserved your chakra," Hiruzen said, stepping into the clearing where Team Seven had been practicing.

His brown eyes were twinkling, and the tone of his voice made the three look up immediately from their respective activities – the enormous boulder Tsunade was carrying fell to the grassy ground with a large 'thump', and Jiraiya and Orochimaru leapt away from a rather intense spar, sheathing their kunai immediately.

"Today," Hiruzen announced, looking around at his students, "I'm going to be teaching you animal summons."

"YESSS!" Tsunade shouted, punching a nearby tree in excitement – there was a resounding crack, and a large branch splintered and fell off.

"Finally," Orochimaru said, green eyes glinting keenly, and even he found it difficult to hide the eager expression on his face.

"About time, huh?" Jiraiya asked, grinning patronizingly at his teammates, "I'm sure you two will manage it well enough..."

Tsunade and Orochimaru had been waiting for years to learn animal summons, though Jiraiya had learnt them two years prior – something which fuelled their impatience even more.

"Indeed," Hiruzen smiled, amused by their antics, "Tsunade-chan, Oro-kun, step over here for now. Jiraiya-kun, you can take the rest of today off and head on home if you'd like."

"Heck no, I'm staying and watching!" Jiraiya said gleefully, rubbing his hands, "I wanna know what animals they get!"

"No you don't," Orochimaru said, "You're only staying so you can show off while we attempt to learn the jutsu."

"That's not true!" Jiraiya squawked.

"Sensei!" Tsunade whined, "Send him off! He'll only distract us and make stupid comments!"

"I won't," Jiraiya protested, "Tsunade-chan, I promise! At least not about _you_! Besides, I'm sure you'll nail the jutsu on your first shot, with your perfect chakra control and all that!"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at his sickeningly sweet tone but said nothing – Jiraiya was acting _nicer _to her off late. He hadn't called her a 'sucker' for weeks and was always complimenting her. It was a nice change, but somewhat weird.

"Jiraiya you can stay," Hiruzen said, "But sit on the side and don't distract them. You know how much concentration this jutsu requires."

"Which makes it a wonder _he _ever accomplished it," Orochimaru muttered.

"I heard that!" Jiraiya yelled, "And I'll have you know I've been summoning toads for years! _You _however, have not!"

"I'm sure I'll get an animal far superior to a slimy _frog_," Orochimaru scoffed deliberately.

"Toad!"

"Whatever. Same thing-"

"They are _not_!"

"Silence, you two, or no summonings," Hiruzen said gravely, and that immediately shut both of them up.

Orochimaru and Tsunade walked over to Hiruzen, who knelt down, slowly making hand seals.

"Pay attention to these, now," he said, "If you mess up even a little, the result could be disastrous. Come on now – dog, boar, monkey -"

"Bird, sheep," Jiraiya cut in, and Tsunade and Orochimaru glowered at him.

"Yes, _thank you _Jiraiya," Hiruzen said, "Dog, boar, monkey, bird, sheep. Do it."

He made them repeat the seals for a few minutes, at increasingly fast speeds, until they had it down perfectly, while Jiraiya observed from a nearby tree branch, all the while smirking with an air of maddening superiority.

"Right," Hiruzen said, "Now that you've gotten that down, we'll do the blood sacrifice."

Orochimaru nodded, and Tsunade winced slightly at the prospect, but nodded as well.

"I don't know which animal you have a natural affinity for," Hiruzen said, "And it's best we find that out and let the summon choose you, before you sign a blood contract. So what I want you to do now is bite your thumbs, just enough to draw blood – and then do your seals, and slam your palms on the ground, all the while concentrating as much chakra as you can to your hands."

"...that's all?" Orochimaru asked.

"Try it out," Hiruzen suggested, "Chakra control and concentration, remember, that's the key."

"Should we – try to envision what summon we'd like?" Tsunade asked tentatively, "I read in a scroll that-"

"Don't bother," Hiruzen said, "It's best you let the jutsu work naturally. That way, you'll get the summon which you're best suitable for, considering your chakra type and nature."

"Figures Jiraiya would get a freaking frog," Orochimaru muttered.

"Hey, I bet _you'll _be a cockroach!" Jiraiya yelled from above.

"Come on now, bite your thumb and make the seal," Hiruzen said impatiently, "Haven't you two been waiting years for this?"

Tsunade and Orochimaru nodded, simultaneously swiping their thumbs across their teeth, their fingers flying through the seals.

Dog. Boar. Monkey. Bird. Sheep.

SLAM!

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" they cried simultaneously.

Nothing happened.

"Huh?" Tsunade gasped.

"What?" Orochimaru looked peeved.

"Ahahahaha!" Jiraiya cackled from above, "Told you it's not that easy!"

"Try again," Hiruzen said.

Dog. Boar. Monkey. Bird. Sheep.

SLAM!

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" they yelled.

"FAIL!" Jiraiya laughed, "You're supposed to concentrate your chakra, remember!"

He projected an air of wisdom which made Tsunade want to punch him.

"Again," Hiruzen instructed.

"But – what're we doing wrong?" Orochimaru asked.

"Figure it out yourselves," Hiruzen said, "Again. Now."

Dog. Boar. Monkey. Bird. Sheep.

SLAM!

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

"Ugh!"

"Tch."

"Hahaha!"

"Again."

Dog. Boar. Monkey. Bird. Sheep.

SLAM!

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

"Sensei..."

"..."

"Tee hee..."

"Concentrate. Again."

Dog. Boar. Monkey. Bird. Sheep.

SLAM!

"KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!"

Poof!

"It worked!" Tsunade shrieked excitedly, "I got somethi-eeeeeeeek!"

She screeched loudly, before leaping away, up onto the tree branch with Jiraiya. She was shaking, her honey eyes wide with fear, an expression of utmost horror on her face.

"Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya looked concerned, "What's wrong?"

Tsunade said nothing, pointing to the ground, where the little cloud had cleared away to reveal her summon.

Writhing in the grass was a plump little white and blue slug.

Orochimaru and Jiraiya both stared at it, until Orochimaru suddenly fell to the ground, shaking.

"What's up with him?" Jiraiya asked.

"You freak!" Tsunade shrieked, leaping down and lunging at her teammate, "You _did _jinx them!"

Orochimaru dodged her blow, still shaking from laughter.

"Tsunade-chan, _what _is this about?" Hiruzen asked exasperatedly.

Even Jiraiya looked bemused, not quite understanding what was going on between his two teammates.

"He jinxed them!" Tsunade wailed, kicking at Orochimaru who leapt expertly over her leg, "During the Chuunin Exams! He said – he said – after saving me from the slugs – and he _knew _I hated them! He said I'd jinxed the summons and now –"

"You baka," Jiraiya said gravely, "How could you do this to poor Tsunade-chan?"

Tsunade gave an anguished wail, looking rather hysterical.

"Tsunade-hime, Tsunade-hime," Orochimaru said quickly, ducking under another a blow, "You know I was joking back then! You can't jinx your own summons!"

"Yes but – ugh – stop laughing!"

Orochimaru attempted to morph his expression into an apologetic one.

"I'm sorry, princess, but I can't help what you summon," he said, "And like I told you before, slugs aren't all that bad, you know."

"Yes but – senseiiii!" Tsunade wailed, distraught as she glanced towards the little white slug, "Do something!"

"Tsunade-chan," Hiruzen said gently, "I know you've had one bad incident with slugs in the Forest of Death, but like Orochimaru said, no one could have jinxed your summon. It's a powerful jutsu that can't be meddled with. Slugs are obviously your natural affinity and the animal best suited to your talents."

"No!" Tsunade cried, looking to be on the verge of tears, "But – that can't be!"

"Don't feel bad, Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya said comfortingly, leaping down from his tree branch and putting an arm around her shoulders, "Slugs are cool! Just like toads!"

Orochimaru just crossed his arms and waited for the drama to die down before he could give _his _summoning another shot. Unlike Tsunade, he still hadn't managed, and he wondered how horrified he'd be if he managed to summon something utterly useless – like, say, a squirrel?

"I can't believe it!" Tsunade moaned, "After everything, waiting all these years to summon something-"

"Don't talk like that, Tsunade," Hiruzen said sharply, "Your summon is a sentient being that can understand you. Come on now, try talking to it."

"I – what?" Tsunade blanched, "No, I _can't_-"

Orochimaru was getting impatient now, and leaned down, scooping up the little slug and walking towards Tsunade. It was soft and squishy, but he didn't mind so much.

"Hand," he demanded, and Tsunade stared at him as if petrified.

Realising she wasn't going to comply, Orochimaru reached over and took her hand in his free one.

"No!" Tsunade panicked, "_Don't_!"

"Let her be, will you?" Jiraiya snapped.

Orochimaru, however, ignored them both, depositing the slug in Tsunade hand, and covering it with his own before she could drop it to the ground.

"No! No!" she squealed, shaking, "Let go! Stop! It's gross!"

"Will you let go of her already, can't you see it's bothering her!" Jiraiya yelled.

"Calm down, Tsunade-hime," Orochimaru said in a low voice, "Don't think about it. Just look at me."

He gripped her hand tighter between both of his, though he was careful not to squash the little slug that lay on Tsunade's palm.

Tsunade's stomach was leaping and churning, and she was shaking violently. The slug was cold, and _wet, _and just – _gross _– but the smooth feeling of Orochimaru's cool hands tightly covering hers made it a tiny bit easier – _just _a tiny bit – distracting her just enough so that she didn't faint entirely on the spot.

"What are you _doing_?" Jiraiya growled.

"She has to get used to it," Orochimaru said, "It's her summon and it will always be. That will never change."

They stood like that for a few moments, and Tsunade's shaking lessned. Orochimaru gradually loosened his grip, before pulling away entirely.

"Don't let go now, Tsunade-hime," he murmured, and Tsunade nodded fearfully, biting her lip.

She didn't let go, but stared at the small slug crawling in her hand, shuddering every now and then as it moved.

"See, it's not so bad, is it?" Orochimaru asked, and Tsunade nodded, very slowly.

Her lips twitched then, ever so slightly, before curving upwards.

"Actually," she said softly, "It's kind of – cute..."

Orochimaru smiled, a genuine smile, and Hiruzen beamed at them. Jiraiya looked unusually grumpy for some reason.

"Try talking to it," Hiruzen said expectantly.

"Um – hello," Tsunade mumbled, looking at the white and blue slug, "I'm Tsunade Senju. N-nice to meet you?"

The slug actually spoke, and Tsunade jumped slightly in surprise.

"Hello," the slug said squeakily, "I'm Katsuyu. I hope you're not afraid of me!"

"N-no," Tsunade shook her head frantically, and then with more conviction said, "Of course not. I just – wasn't expecting you?"

Tsunade continued her conversation with her new summon, as Orochimaru turned back to his own, face set in concentration

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

POOF!

"He got it!" Jiraiya yelled, "Whatcha get, teme?"

Orochimaru knelt down, green eyes staring intensely at the ground. Tsunade walked over as well, Katsuyu in hand.

The smoke cleared – to reveal a small, sinous snake.

It was purple and about the thickness of a couple of fingers, with a triangular head, black stripes, and gleaming green eyes that shone through its slitted eyelids.

"A snake!" Tsunade exclaimed, taking a step back in fear – slugs she could still handle, but snakes were too much.

"Ha!" Orochimaru grinned at Jiraiya, who seemed taken aback, "My snake summons beat your stupid frogs hollow, you baka!"

"Suitable for you, you slimy freak," Jiraiya shot back.

The snake hissed loudly at this, a sharp forked tongue flicking past its fangs. Orochimaru knelt down, extending his arm.

"Hello there," he crooned, "I'm your new master, Orochimaru."

The snake hissed loudly at this, and slithered away, obviously not heeding or liking Orochimaru's words.

"Snake," Orochimaru repeated, "Tell me your name. I am Orochimaru and – hey!"

He recoiled suddenly, as if stung, cradling his hand to his chest. The snake, which had suddenly darted its head forward, hissed loudly.

"It nearly bit me!" Orochimaru seemed startled.

Tsunade looked even more shocked then before, and Jiraiya grinned slightly.

"What's the point of having a summon if it turns on you, eh?" he jeered.

Orochimaru attempted to ingratiate the snake again, only to have it slither away in the opposite direction.

"Why's it doing that?" Orochimaru demanded, "I summoned it, it should listen to me!"

Hiruzen, however, fingered his goatee thoughtfully.

"Sometimes, summons won't always abide by your instructions unless you get them to respect you. It seems you're facing a similar situation here. That snake won't respond to you until you do something to either gain its respect or trust," he observed.

"What do I do?" Orochimaru asked, eyeing the still hissing snake with worry.

"That's for you to figure out," Hiruzen said, "It's your summon and you're responsible for forging a bond with it. You may as well start trying now, because when the time comes for battle, your bond with your summon could be the very deciding factor between life and death."

Jiraiya, in the meantime had crouched down by the grass, his fingers flying through seals.

"Jiraiya, don't-" Tsunade began, but it was too late.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

Poof!

Seconds later, the toad Gamabunta was squatting on the field, bulbous eyes surveying the surroundings.

"What's up, Jiraiya-boy?" he croaked, "Why'd you call me?"

"I want you to meet my teammates' summons," Jiraiya said, "Since we're a team, you three are going to have to work together too one day!"

"Jiraiya, I'm _not _sure that's a good idea," Hiruzen muttered, "Considering Orochimaru's summon is the natural enemy of your own..."

"Aw, don't worry sensei, I'm sure they'll get along," Jiraiya said, "Gama, that's Katsuyu-chan. She's Tsunade-chan's summon."

Gamabunta looked at the slug rather disinterestedly, and nodded.

"Hello," Katsuyu squeaked as Tsunade lowered the slug to eye level.

"Yeah," the toad nodded, before its yellow eyes fell on the hissing snake.

"You!" Gamabunta said accusingly, warty eyelids narrowing.

"Sssilly frog," the snake hissed, head rising from the grass, "Why do you trespasss my domain?"

"Your domain?" the toad demanded, "You were summoned here as I was! And don't think I forgot – _your _family attacked _mine _three months ago, you treacherous worm!"

"Foolisssh," the snake reared up, fangs glinting, "Of courssse, that should be expected of someone with a head as fat as yoursss Bunta-chan!"

"You two know each other!" Jiraiya intervened, looking surprised.

"Of coursse, the fatter you the better," the snake went on, suddenly tensing, "You'll make a good dinner for me!"

"Come right at me, Manda, you slime! I've always wanted a snakeskin wallet!" Gamabunta retorted, and suddenly, with a flash, the toad had leapt forwards, drawing a short knife from somewhere within its leathery skin. The snake, Manda, struck forward as well, fangs dripping with a liquid they could only assume was poison.

"Jiraiya! Orochimaru! Call them off immediately," Hiruzen snapped.

"Gama-boy!" Jiraiya wailed, "Gama-boy, what're you doing? He's a friend! He may be a slimy freak, but he's a friend!"

Gamabunta hesitated, but Manda lunged forward, jaws wide open, wrapping himself around Gamabunta's stomach. He squeezed tightly, and Gamabunta's body bulged outwards.

"Oro-teme, call your freaking snake off!" Jiraiya yelled.

"Manda! Stop at once!" Orochimaru shouted, but the snake paid no heed.

"Jiraiya-boy, sorry, but I can't let him strangle me!" Gamabunta croaked, and with a flash, the knife was out.

Manda gave a sharp hiss, and withdrew sharply, a few droplets of blood streaming over his purple scales.

"Curssse you, fly-eater!" he hissed menacingly, before weaving through the grass, aiming to sneak up behind Gamabunta from the back.

"Oh no you don't!" Gamabunta yelled, hopping behind him, attempting to grab hold of Manda's tail with his webbed hands – he missed, however, and with a few twists, Manda had slipped away.

"Stop it, Gama!" Jiraiya commanded, rushing ahead and scooping up the struggling toad, "You don't attack till I tell you to!"

"Oh, let me at him!" the toad protested, "He's been pestering us for weeks, him and his clan!"

"Yesss, let him at me," Manda agreed, slithering towards Jiraiya's leg.

"Bastard!" Jiraiya screeched, staring at the advancing snake, "Do something!"

Orochimaru lunged forward, attempting to clamp his hand around Manda's writhing form. He managed, but the snake only twisted and turned more, sliding out of his grasp and coiled around his pale arm, fangs bared to strike.

Orochimaru muttered something, and his arm stretched and elongated, so he could grasp at Manda again with his hand. The snake seemed genuinely surprised at this, and hissed, slithering up Orochimaru's shoulder. The steadily lengthening arm followed rather grotesquely.

"Ugh," Jiraiya muttered, turning away, "I hate when he uses that jutsu!"

Finally, Orochimaru managed to catch Manda just under his triangular head, clamping his fingers tightly around the purple body before he shrunk his arm back to normal.

"Manda," Orochimaru spoke, his voice icy, "You will listen to me."

He glared at the snake, green eyes boring into green, his voice as soft and threatening as Manda's own. Manda struggled for a while, but finally went limp, before curling lazily around Orochimaru's wrist.

"I sssubmit," Manda said, "You move and contort like a human snake... I think, perhapsss, you will be a worthy massster... for now, at leasst..."

"That's good," Orochimaru muttered, "No more attacking toads, okay? Or slugs for that matter."

"Alright," Manda agreed, his voice a sibilant hiss, "Maybe just once or twice a week?"

"No," Orochimaru said firmly, "They are the summons of my teammates and I do not want your harming them."

"Birdsss, then?" Manda suggested.

"I-" Orochimaru hesitated, but Hiruzen cut in.

"Snakes are natural predators. You cannot deny him his sustenance. It is enough that he would not attack the toads, given that they are Jiraiya's summons."

"Anything elssse?" Manda asked, "I'm famissshed, you see, after this fight... I want food, and though that toad seems a rather succulent morsssel-"

"No," Jiraiya and Orochimaru said together.

"I think I should go back to my realm and hunt, yesss?"

"I'll call you when I need you," Orochimaru nodded, and without another word, the snake poofed off.

"Damn pests," Gamabunta croaked, "I hate them, Jiraiya-boy, these snakes! You can't actually expect me to work with one! They're murderers!"

"Ah – we'll figure that out some other time, yeah?" Jiraiya suggested, "You can go now, Gama, and thanks for coming!"

"Later," Gamabunta grunted, and he too, disappeared.

"Oh, Katsuyu," Tsunade said to her little slug, that had been trembling in her hand, "I'm so glad you're not like them! I'm sorry you had to see all that!"

"I'm sorry too," the slug agreed, "It'll be scary working with them though..."

"It's okay, they don't hate you," Tsunade assured the slug.

"Gamabunta's clan has tried to eat mine in the past," Katsuyu said fearfully, "He nearly ignored me today due to his hatred for Manda, but we're natural enemies too! And my clan once had a rivalry with the snakes..."

"Oh," Tsunade said, staggering back, "Oh. That's just lovely. So you're all natural enemies who've tried to kill each other, then?"

"You could say that, Tsunade-sama," the slug said softly.

"You don't need to call me that," Tsunade said, "Just my name is enough, really..."

"But you are of noble birth, ne? As am I. We should all respect each other," the slug replied.

"Oh, you're royalty too?" Tsunade asked curiously, "How so?"

"My mother is the Queen of the Slugs," Katsuyu said proudly, "And as her eldest daughter, I am heir to that title one day."

"Well, then our personalities match more than I thought," Tsunade said, smiling, "My grandparents were the founders of the village, and my grandfather and his brother were the first two Hokages – that's like a clan leader of sorts for humans."

"Well, it's been nice talking with you, Tsunade-sama," Katsuyu said, "But if there is nothing to be done, shall I take my leave? You can summon me whenever you need me."

"Of course," Tsunade said, deciding that she liked her summon – _very much _– in terms of personality, "I'll see you later, Katsuyu!"

There was a poof, and the slug disappeared.

An eerie silence permeated the grounds, until Jiraiya swore loudly.

"Jiraiya," Hiruzen said warningly.

"But sensei!" Jiraiya moaned, "All of our summons routinely try to kill each other! This team is freaking homicidal! Don't you think that's a bit wrong?"

"It speaks for their summoners more than anything," Hiruzen chuckled, "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll overcome their differences and learn to work together in the future – just like you three have."

/\/\/\/\/\

Surprisingly, Hiruzen turned out to be correct. Despite their differences, Katsuyu and Gamabunta never attacked one another – the same went for Katsuyu and Manda. Though Gamabunta and Manda had their occasional scuffles, not unlike their masters, they managed to work together, or at least not attack one another, over the next few months, when they were summoned. The summons soon began to grow in size as well, rather rapidly, and acquire new abilities – such as Katsuyu who was learning to belch out splashes of acid from her mouth, which could prove deadly when squirted into an enemy ninja's eye.

Team Hiruzen's lives continued rather peacefully that year – their were no A or B-rank missions, no stirrings of war, no exams, no family deaths – it was a good time, and they flourished, excelling at their respective arts. Tsunade began to concentrate more on medical ninjutsu, though Nawaki began to take up her time as well. Tsunade simply doted on the infant, who soon celebrated his one year birthday. It was a momentous occasion, and a party was held at the Senju Compound – every clan, Uchiha included, was invited, as were all of Tsunade's classmates and academy teachers, along with the Hokage and several other village leaders of importance.

The peace didn't last for long though – at least for other parts of the shinobi world. They soon began to hear whispers of insurgency – in Whirlpool, the place of Tsunade's ancestors. They didn't learn much of it, except that the country was at civil war, and since they were allies of Konoha, apparently the Kage had asked for help. Hiruzen soon departed on an aid mission to the land, and though his students begged to accompany him, he refused. They weren't at war anymore – there was no need to risk Chuunin on A or B-rank missions any longer.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Obaa-san! I'm home!" Tsunade announced, shutting the door after she arrived back after a particularly strenuous training session. Her parents had been deployed on a week-long mission (to Whirlpool!) and it was only her and Mito at the Senju household.

"Obaa-san!" Tsunade called again, as she took off her sandals and placed them near the door, careful not to spread any dirt, "Where are you?"

Tsunade padded through the household, and nearly got the shock of her life, when she saw her grandmother, red hair dishevelled, kneeling by her bed, and clutching her stomach, groaning as if in great pain.

"Obaa-san!" Tsunade cried, dropping by her grandmother's side, "What's the matter! Are you hurt?"

Mito didn't answer, her face skewed with pain and her honey eyes twisted shut – she pressed her stomach again, her hands flashing with chakra, and gave another pained moan.

"Obaa-san, what's wrong?" Tsunade asked frantically, "Are you injured? Should I heal you? Shall I call a medic!"

"Tsunade – Tsunade-hime," Mito gasped, cracking open her eyes, "Don't – don't worry – call – Biwako-"

"I can't leave you here!" Tsunade protested, "Is there nothing I can do?"

"It's not as bad as it seems," Mito rasped, sweat beading down her forehead, "Please – call Biwako – and the Hokage too – fast!"

"I – alright!" Tsunade jumped up, racing towards the kitchen.

She didn't leave herself, but summoned one of the maids.

"Tsunade-hime," the maid said, bowing.

"Listen," Tsunade said urgently, "Obaa-san is hurt. You need to call Biwako and Hokage-sama _now_. Tell them she's in great pain and they need to come here."

"Yes, Tsunade-hime," the maid nodded.

"Please, hurry!" Tsunade cried, "Ask and ANBU for help if you have to!"

The maid nodded and scurried off, and Tsunade dashed back to her grandmother's room. Mito had managed to sit herself on the bed, but was still clutching at her stomach, her mouth clenched tightly.

"Obaa-san, are you sure I cannot heal you?" Tsunade asked, "If its a stomach ulcer, or cramp, or wound even, I could-"

"Tsunade-hime, thank you, but please," Mito said, "This is beyond your grasp. And I do not need to be healed. I just need – the Hokage – and Biwako..."

The words sent stabs of fear in Tsunade's heart – for she wondered what ailment her grandmother could possibly be carrying that couldn't even be explained to her – and she paced the room frantically, until Hiruzen and his wife both burst in, looking concerned.

"Mito-sama!" Biwako cried frantically, "Is it-"

Hiruzen however, made a sharp look and nodded towards Tsunade.

"Tsunade-chan, I'm sure your timely help is appreciated. I'll have to ask you to leave the room now, and let us attend to her."

"But will she be okay?" Tsunade asked, eyes wide, "And what's wrong with her? Why can't I help!"

"Tsunade," Hiruzen said, his voice gentle but authoritative, "Your grandmother is neither sick nor wounded. She is just suffering a minor problem, which will be rectified immediately. You must trust me on this, and please leave. This is not a matter of your concern."

"How long has this been happening?" Tsunade demanded, "How long has she-"

She stopped, however, at a sudden loud wailing sound – apparently the commotion had awoken Nawaki, who was now bawling loudly.

"Princess, I think you should see after your brother now," Hiruzen said firmly, and Tsunade bit her lip, but then seeing the unusually grim look in his eyes, nodded, and rushed off.

Behind her, Hiruzen shut the door, and bolted it.

Tsunade soon pacified Nawaki, which wasn't much of a task – the little toddler immediately brightened up upon seeing his older sister, and she rocked him in her arms for a few minutes, murmuring aloud until he fell asleep. Quickly after, she walked back to her grandmother's room, which was still locked.

She could hear voices inside, but they were just murmurs, and she could comprehend nothing. Anxious to know what was going on, Tsunade muttered a quick jutsu to enhance her hearing capabilities – it wasn't entirely effective, but she could now make out snatches of the conversation that was going on inside.

"-the seal is weakening. It could be dangerous to her health if its kept-"

"-a new carrier. She's not as young as she used to be-"

"-not everyone can withstand the pressure. Only the strongest-"

"-preferable to keep it in the same bloodline, or the extraction could-"

"-will _not _let you enforce this upon Tsunade! Her entire future-"

"-too old, her chakra coils are fully developed. It's too dangerous-"

"-a small child, who hasn't yet been tutored in ninjutsu would be best-"

Tsunade had perked up at the mention of her name, but it wasn't mentioned again, and she couldn't make out a head or tail of the conversation that was happening. She stopped listening in, her mind wandering. What was all this talk about bloodlines, and chakra coils, all this garble about extraction and carriers? It gave her an uncomfortable feeling in her throat, even though she didn't know what it was about.

The doorknob rattled, and Tsunade immediately bounded away, not wanting to be caught for eavesdropping. Hiruzen and Biwako emerged, their faces grim, continuing a conversation.

"-will write to the Uzushiokage tonight itself, and have a messenger deliver our request-" Hiruzen was saying.

"But are you sure?" Biwako contested, "The country's in utter anarchy, is this really the best time to-"

"Best time or not, the seal is weakening and she is getting old. We _have _to do this before it becomes too dangerous," Hiruzen said decidedly, before seeing Tsunade lurking in the hall.

"Tsunade-chan," he said sternly, "I thought you were with Nawaki?"

"I was, sensei, but he's asleep now," Tsunade said, masking her face into once of innocence, despite the countless questions that hammered against her mind, "Sensei, is Mito-obaa-san alright?"

"She's fine," Hiruzen said gravely, "She's just not as young as she used to be. You don't need to worry about her though. In a few weeks, we're going to operate on her, and she'll be as good as new!"

"Operate!" Tsunade exclaimed, "Why, what happened?"

"It's nothing, Tsunade-chan, just some – internal chakra problems. It happens with – old age. She'll be fine after we perform the operation though, I promise. And you don't have to worry about her now, because she'll be moving in with Biwako and myself till then."

"She's moving out!" Tsunade cried, "But – why? Are you taking her to the hospital!"

"No, not the hospital, child," Biwako said soothingly, "She just needs to stay with me so I can administer her medicine. She may forget to take it herself with all her other stress, and your parents are on a mission-"

"I can take care of her!" Tsunade declared, "I'll make sure she's okay!"

"I'm sure you can," Biwako said gently, "But you're not a fully qualified medic _yet, _Tsunade-chan, though you're fast on your way. Also, I don't want this disrupting your training."

"She's my grandmother!" Tsunade insisted, "I want to help-"

"You can help by staying calm and being patient for the next few days," Hiruzen said, kneeling down and touching her shoulders, "Trust me, Tsunade-chan – she will be _fine_."

They left soon after, their words doing nothing to quell Tsunade's fears. She immediately ran into her grandmother's room, and was relieved to see that Mito looked almost entirely normal now – she no longer seemed in pain, and was storing a scroll away in her drawer.

"Obaa-san!" Tsunade cried, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Tsunade-hime," Mito smiled, "And I'm sorry for worrying you. It's just an old woman's problem, you see – my stomach acts up every now and then. Nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?" Tsunade asked suspiciously, "It seemed pretty serious. They said they're operating you."

"I will be fine, Tsunade. In fact, I will be _better _than I was before, in a sense," Mito said heavily, "Don't worry so much, about an old woman's ailments!"

"You're hardly old, obaa-san!" Tsunade protested, looking at her grandmother's smoothe, wrinkle-free skin, "You only look to be forty!"

"Looks can be deceptive," Mito said, her hand brushing against the blue diamond-shaped mark on her forehead, "You, as a kunoichi, would do well to remember that. Now go on for dinner, Tsunade-chan. I need to bathe, and I'll join you shortly! Wake up Nawaki as well – I'll need you to feed him for me!"

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade didn't tell anyone about the incident with her grandmother, not even Orochimaru and Jiraiya. For some reason, it gave her a bad feeling in her gut, and she wanted to wait till the 'operation' was over till she revealed it. Mito soon moved into the Hokage Tower with the Sarutobi Clan, but since Tsunade was close to them, she visited often and ended up dining there most of the time. To her relief, her grandmother seemed no worse than before, except for once time Tsunade caught her clutching at her stomach again; Biwako soon attended to her after that, and Mito was fine.

She, Orochimaru and Jiraiya continued their training, waiting restlessly for an interesting mission to pop up.

"This month's stock was rather sad, eh?" Jiraiya commented one day at lunch, slurping on his noodles.

"Missions, you mean?" Orochimaru asked, "I agree with you. We haven't even gotten escort missions, and I think we're above C and D ranks now."

"I asked sensei about it yesterday, he said there aren't any," Tsunade said.

"That's a lie," Jiraiya muttered through mouthfuls of noodles, "I know for a fact there's all this fighting happening in Whirlpool. The ANBU keep going there. I don't see why we can't help! We're nearly twelve, and we're Chuunin too!"

"They won't deploy us to fight another country's war, not when there are enough Special Jounin and ANBU for the job," Orochimaru said logically, "Consider it a good thing. If we had A-ranks right now, it would probably mean we'd be at war. Still, a B-rank escort would suffice."

"I still haven't seen Whirlpool!" Tsunade pouted, "I really want to go there!"

"What, and meet all your long-lost cousins?" Orochimaru teased.

"Well, it's also supposed to be really pretty!" Tsunade said, "And romantic! With all these hills, and valleys, and waterfalls and rivers-"

"And whirlpools," Orochimaru said, "Giant spinning whirlpools which swallow up any ship which comes near them-"

"Oh, don't be such a killjoy, Oro-kun," Tsunade rolled her eyes, stabbing at her vegetables with her chopsticks, "The Jounin go regularly, none of them have been sucked up by the water..."

"I'll take you one day, Tsunade-chan!" Jiraiya piped up, "When we're older, and I go on my world travels, I'll be sure to take you there!"

"Uh – thanks," Tsunade muttered, not sure how to answer that.

Jiraiya was making weird comments like that with an increasing frequency, and she didn't quite get it.

She looked questioningly at Orochimaru, as she usually did on such instances – he seemed to have observed the odd change in Jiraiya's behavior as well – but the pale boy just shook his head, a smirk pulling at his lips, as if he knew something that Tsunade didn't. It irked her to no end.

"So, how's your medical ninjutsu training going, huh?" Jiraiya asked, pressing his chin on his palms and leaning forward, "I bet you'll be as good as your grandmother soon!"

"It's going well," Tsunade said warily, wondering why he didn't make fun of her, and expecting some sort of joke at her expense; only that could explain such prolonged niceness without any jibes. Their friendship was such that half of it comprised of making fun of one another; that's how they'd always been, and it was an indicator of closeness more than anything.

"Long as you don't start betting on your patients, I'm sure you'll do well," Orochimaru said deliberately, eyeing Jiraiya.

Tsunade rolled her eyes at the dig at her previous gambling misfortunes, and awaited Jiraiya's taunts.

"Of course she'll do well," Jiraiya defended her immediately, "She's _gifted _unlike you."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, well she doesn't suck at everything," Orochimaru said amiably, and Tsunade would have punched him if she didn't know him well enough; he was only trying to get a rise out of Jiraiya – some snarky comment, some veiled insult – something to show he was back to normal.

"Tsunade-chan doesn't suck at anything!" Jiraiya said loyally, clenching his fist, "And as her teammate, it's a shame you'd say something like that, you asshole!"

Orochimaru seemed surprised by the viciousness of the remark. So was Tsunade – usually the mention of the word 'suck' would have Jiraiya howling 'legendary sucker' until she socked him in the eye. Maybe he had begun to fear her chakra-punching skills?

"I was kidding," Orochimaru said flatly, "No need to get so defensive, lover-boy."

Jiraiya flushed bright red at this and scowled at Orochimaru, who surveyed him intently for a while, his green gaze flickering between him and Tsunade.

"Yeah, why _are _you being so nice to me?" Tsunade finally asked, "I'm not going to punch you, you know. Not everytime at least. Unless it's because you want something – are you injured? Do you want me to heal something of yours?"

"Haha," Jiraiya laughed weakly, scratching the back of his head, "It's nothing like that... "

"Then what is it?" Tsunade demanded, hands on her hips.

"Can't a guy just be nice to a girl, for a change?" Jiraiya asked.

"He can," Tsunade nodded, "But that only applies to the ones like Dan. _You _on the other hand, are quite another case, Jiraiya."

Jiraiya froze at this, and Orochimaru, for some reason, gave a low whistle.

"You always hit where it hurts, huh, princess?" he asked, looking over shrewdly at Jiraiya.

"What?" Tsunade asked, "I didn't hit him!"

"I'd say you did, right in his hea-"

"Teme!" Jiraiya growled, "Just shut the hell up already!"

Orochimaru chose to actually listen to his friend, his expression an odd mixture of mild amusement and concern. Tsunade didn't get why Jiraiya had snapped at Orochimaru. She didn't get the significance of Orochimaru's cryptic comments. She didn't get anything right now.

Jiraiya suddenly began attacking his noodles with fervor, and Tsunade soon did the same, giving up on her teammates, though she made a mental note to accost Orochimaru later and ask him what the hell that had all been about.

Jiraiya shovelled down the rest of his food rather quickly, threw a dirty look at Orochimaru, and sped off without another word to either of his teammates, knocking down his stool in the process.

"What in the name of Kami-sama was that all about?" Tsunade demanded, watching Jiraiya speed off. She turned on Orochimaru.

"What did you do to him? Have you guys been fighting?"

"No, we have not," Orochimaru said slowly, the corners of his mouth quirking up.

"Then why'd he run off like that? You must have done something to piss him off! You and your stupid comments-"

"Why do you assume it was _me _who pissed him off?" Orochimaru asked suddenly.

"Of course it was," Tsunade said exasperatedly, "It's _always _you who frustrates him, and vice-versa-"

"Actually, Tsunade-hime, off late, I think it's been _you_," Orochimaru said delicately.

"What? I haven't done anything!" Tsunade protested, "And we always joke around, he's never gotten this upset before!"

"You don't realize it, do you?" Orochimaru asked, smirking infuriatingly, "Why he's being so nice all of a sudden?"

"What are you talking about?" Tsunade growled, "Spit it out!"

"It's rather obvious," Orochimaru said, with growing amusement.

"Please, oh all-knowing one, let me in on this secret," Tsunade said sarcastically.

Orochimaru looked at her for awhile, as if contemplating something, and then shook his head.

"It's not my secret to share," he said softly, placing his empty ramen bowl on the table and getting up, "Come on, sensei expects us."

Tsunade followed him, pestering him the entire time, and threatening him with bodily damage. It didn't do much good – he knew she wouldn't actually hurt him, and he proceeded to block her out, ignoring her completely and not answering her questions, all the while smirking in that annoying way.

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade and Orochimaru reached the Hokage Tower, where they saw Jiraiya waiting outside, scribbling on a piece of paper, looking oddly pensive.

"He's writing again?" Tsunade wondered, before smiling, "Hey Jir-"

She stopped mid-call, when Orochimaru's cold hand closed around her wrist; it gave her a weird feeling, like she'd been shocked.

"Try being nice to him," Orochimaru said, "Don't make fun of him too much..."

Tsunade wrenched her arm away and stared at him incredulously.

"What – why are _you _of all people telling me something like that? What's gotten into you?" she demanded, "You _always _make fun of him, you just did, its what we three always do to each other, why would you-"

Orochimaru just shook his head, almost pityingly.

"You'll figure it out on your own soon enough, princess, but till then I think you'd do well to listen to my advice."

And then he sauntered off, and began talking to Jiraiya, who seemed to have forgotten his earlier anger towards Orochimaru and was perfectly friendly as well.

"H'lo, Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya muttered, when she came, and then continued his conversation with Orochimaru, which for once, seemed bereft of any teasing.

_What the hell is going on? _Tsunade wondered.

/\/\/\/\/\

"So – uh – sensei, is it another D-rank?" Jiraiya asked, as the trio assembled in front of the Hokage, who had called them for another mission.

"I don't mean to be rude, but raking leaves is becoming rather monotonous, no matter how challenging we try to make it," Orochimaru added, "We conquered that stuff during our genin years. Why fall back to that level?"

"Just don't make us walk more dogs, or go after that stupid Daimyo's wife's stupid cat," Tsunade pleaded, "Oh, and dibs on any escort missions to Whirlpool!"

"As a matter of fact," Hiruzen said, eyes twinkling as he adjusted his Hokage hat, "This is an escort mission. It's a B-rank, and I shall be accompanying you myself."

"What?" Tsunade gasped, "Really! That's awesome!"

"Yes!" Jiraiya pumped his fist, "You _never _accompany us! So who is the escort? Must be someone super important to land the best squad in Konoha plus the Hokage!"

"Where are we going?" Orochimaru inquired, "When do we leave?"

"You leave in two weeks," Hiruzen replied, "Right after Tsunade's twelfth birthday, as a matter of fact. It's going to be a long mission – a week and a half at the quickest, I'd say..."

"Where are we going?" Jiraiya asked, bouncing on the soles of his feet, "Somewhere new?"

"Are we escorting a Kage?" Tsunade asked, "Or a clan leader with some valuable kekkai genkai?"

"You're escort will be waiting for you once you reach your destination," Hiruzen chuckled, "And we shall escort them back to Konoha. As for _where _we are going – well, I'll give you a hint. It's a place that all three of you, especially Tsunade-chan, have been wanting to go to for years-"

"Whirlpool!" Tsunade cheered, jumping up and down, "That's it, isn't it?"

"Alright!" Jiraiya yelled, punching the air, "Finally!"

"Why must we wait? Let's leave sooner," Orochimaru insisted.

Hiruzen smiled at his students' enthusiasm, though a part of him knew that this mission was _far _more serious than any other mission they had been giving, due to the nature of the person they were escorting. Still, he didn't want to dampen their spirits with unnecessary details, and allowed them to rejoice at the prospect of finally landing a mission to Whirlpool.

Little did they know that the future fate of the shinobi world – rested heavily on the success of this mission.

It was a daunting prospect – but Hiruzen was sure his team could live up to it.

/\/\/\/\/\

_Author's Note – the foreshadowing is obvious to the point of being blatant, but can anyone guess who the person being escorted is? =) _

_I'm looking forward to the next couple of chapters – I'll be introducing two of my favorite characters now!_


	7. The Legacy of Whirlpool

_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto_

_Author's Note – Here you go. Sorry it took awhile, but fanfiction was being weird and wasn't letting me add chapters to this! Finally, it let me so there you are. Please review and let me know what you think._

_A special thanks to __**Green-Eyes-Love, Thinkpad, Jounin Lover, Beatle, anonymous reviewer, Soraya the All Speaker, CarlaFox1997, templar267**__ and __**TheKillersLover452 **__for your kind words!_

/\/\/\/\/\

Uzushiogakure.

Team Hiruzen surveyed the scene in front of them; the three students of the team with ill-concealed awe.

On first glance, the Land of Whirlpools was truly a place of exotic beauty.

The team stood on the grassy ledge of a cliff, overlooking the sparkling sea; beneath them, the numerous islands of the Whirlpool Village were visible, masses of luxuriant trees interspersed with a glittering river that wound through the foliage like a silvery blue sea-serpent. The edges of the islands were fringed with beaches of pale golden sand, melting away into the pristine waters that lapped upon the shore.

The calmness of the water as deceptive – about fifty meters from the shore, the smooth water began churning and roiling, in various places, forming circular indentations in the sea's surface, gaping holes that measured over hundreds of meters across in the deeper parts of the sea, and between fifteen to twenty nearer to the shore. The disturbances resembled the gaping maws of some ancient sea-monster, sucking in the increasingly turbulent water around it, creating an almost fearful roaring noise. They surrounded the entire perimeter of the islands, like ferocious animals guarding their homes, the best possible defense the Whirlpool Village could have.

It was thus that the village grew strong and evaded external attack, behind its prison of swirling waters. Unfortunately, the Whirlpools couldn't protect the villagers from internal conflicts, and as Hiruzen had explained to his three pupils on the journey there, one of the other villages (suspected to be Kumogakure) had taken advantage of this. Envious of, and threatened by Uzushiogakure's increasing power and thirsty for their secrets about sealing jutsu, which the villagers were renowned for, a group of foreign emissaries had taken advantage of the trusting nature of the villagers to sow seeds of dissent among them. The problems had started out small, but began escalating, and a few months back, a faction of young men had begun revolting against the Kage and demanding sovereignty. Due to Whirlpool's relatively insular existence, the riots and rebelliousness spread fast, and the once prosperous nation was fragmented into two groups, which soon clashed in civil war. When notified of their allies' plight, Konoha had immediately rushed to Whirlpool's aid; unfortunately, it had been too late. The extent of damage done by the internal war had been regrettable, and though the insurgency had been quelled, thousands of lives had been lost, and the very foundations of the village were so badly shaken that rebuilding seemed doubtful, if not impossible. The Kage had died, as had most of the Council Elders and Clan leaders, and even now, those who survived, fought against the wrath of nature.

Whirlpool, due to its delicate location, had an extremely detailed water management strategy which had to be followed to maintain equilibrium with the surroundings, and prevent the Whirlpools from growing to such proportions that they swallow the islands entirely. This had been effective for decades, for centuries, but in light of the civil war, water management had been utterly careless over the last few months. There had been battles on the surface of the water as well, and bombings, and in the course of the war, the steady equilibrium of the Whirlpools had been disrupted. Even now, though they appeared at an innocuous distance of fifty feet from the shore, they had been over two hundred feet away before the civil war had started, and smaller in proportion as well. It was inevitable – the Whirlpools were growing and converging upon the island; the existing population was but a fraction of what it had been before, and the small number of remaining survivors were refugees or injured war victims; they wouldn't be able to re-manage the water schemes quickly or effectively enough to stop the incoming disaster. In a few months, maybe even weeks, the once glorious Whirlpool Village would be submerged underwater, and sucked into the gaping mouths of the swirling Whirlpools it was named after.

Tsunade, Jiraiya and Orochimaru had been stunned when Hiruzen recounted this unfortunate information to them on the journey there; it was tragic that such a magnificent village would fade away to nothing more than a memory, a legend. Hiruzen said they should count themselves fortunate to see Whirlpool at all; for most shinobi their age, it would soon become only a distant entity, one heard about but never actually experienced.

"How are we going to get there?" Jiraiya asked after awhile, "We can't possibly walk across the water…"

"No," Hiruzen said, "But they are expecting us. A mount will arrive soon."

The team waited, unusually silent, listening to the roaring melody of the Whirlpools, as the water crashed and struggled against their overwhelming force. A few minutes later, Tsunade gave a cry, and pointed upwards.

Two large birds, with plumes of blue and green and curved orange beaks, were winging their way across the water towards Team Hiruzen. They landed, a few minutes later, bowing their exotic heads, intelligent black eyes glittering beneath the white-specked blue feathers.

"What are they?" Tsunade asked, entranced, "I've never seen birds like these!"

"They are summons," Hiruzen answered, "Native to this region. Come, as they will be our mounts to the village."

Tsunade proceeded towards one of the birds, followed closely by Jiraiya, and after stroking its soft head once, proceeded to mount it, sitting sideways on its back. Jiraiya clambered up and sat by her side, while Orochimaru and Hiruzen took the second bird. Moments later, the birds were off, winging their way smoothly across the sea.

"Wow," Tsunade whispered, gazing at the tempestuous water below here as they neared a whirlpool. The rushing sound grew louder, and she gripped the bird's neck.

She wasn't afraid, but they were at a great height, and she knew that no matter how proficient her chakra control was, there was no escaping those whirlpools.

Behind her, Jiraiya was groaning something about how he was going to be sick.

"That's your fault," Tsunade informed him snootily, "Sensei said not to pig out during lunch. You stole my servings too!"

"I was hungry," Jiraiya muttered, his face tinged green, "And you know karaage-fried chicken's my favorite!"

"Well if you vomit on me, I'll chakra-punch you," Tsunade warned, and then more gently, "Tell me if it gets really bad. I know some chakra control exercises you can use to calm your stomach."

Jiraiya didn't say anything though, staring steadfastly downwards as they grew closer and closer to the islands. It was then that Tsunade began to notice signs of destruction, signs of the obvious havoc that had wreaked the village, which had been hidden from afar.

The Whirlpool that welcomed Team Hiruzen was bereft of its original splendor. Most of the circular buildings were but mounds of splinters and debris, and the painted wooden bridges which spanned across the islands had been either burnt or slashed down. Tsunade now understood why Chuunin hadn't been deployed for any of the Whirlpool missions; the country was in a far worse state than she had even imagined. Witnessing its ruined glory was like watching a magnificent animal succumb to its wounds; the sight nearly brought tears to her eyes.

"Ouch," Jiraiya said behind her, as they flew over a particular wrecked building – it had been painted deep blue, and Tsunade could make out smashed pillars of gold, and ripped silk banners among the debris, banners covered with a familiar red insignia.

"That must've been the Kage Tower," Jiraiya said sorrowfully, "You can see their sign…"

"It's the same sign on sensei's flak jacket," Tsunade observed.

"And all the Jounin in the village," Jiraiya said, "It's supposed to be a symbol of our friendship with them, right? We carry their symbol on ourselves."

"I wonder if they carry Konoha's," Tsunade said.

"Guess we'll have to wait and see. That is, if any of the Jounin are even left," Jiraiya muttered darkly.

"Don't say things like that!" Tsunade squealed.

"…sorry," Jiraiya said, and he looked like he meant it.

"It's horrible! What happened to this village is horrible!"

"I wish you didn't have to see it."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. I- it's nothing."

"It must have been so pretty though, Whirlpool," Tsunade said wistfully, "Still is…"

"Not as pretty as you," Jiraiya mumbled, and Tsunade was sure she had misheard him.

"What?" she asked, head snapping backwards.

"What?" Jiraiya asked defensively.

"I think I misheard you," Tsunade said, her eyes narrowing, "Could you – um – repeat that?"

"I don't think you misheard me," Jiraiya said, flushing.

"Jiraiya, _what_ is going-" Tsunade began, but he cut her off, pointing and yelling.

"OH LOOK! WE'RE LANDING!"

"Not so loud, baka!" Tsunade hissed, "Didn't you hear what sensei said? Some of the insurgents are still about, and if they're enemies of the Kage they're our enemies too! This mission's supposed to be a secret!"

"Heheh," Jiraiya chuckled, "Yeah, forgot about that…"

/\/\/\/\/\

They landed, in a clearing among the verdant trees, dotted by blue and brown cloth tents. A young lady with red hair tied into a long ponytail was waiting for them.

"Hokage-sama," she curtsied, as they landed, "So kind of you to come yourself. We are honored."

"Kishiko-san," Hiruzen greeted, sliding off of his bird.

Orochimaru, Jiraiya and Tsunade got off their mounts as well.

The red-haired lady murmured something to the two birds, who trilled loudly, before disappearing in puffs of smoke.

"Our summons served you well?" she asked.

"They did indeed," Hiruzen said, "Kishiko-san, I'd like you to meet my students: Jiraiya-kun, Tsunade-chan, and Orochimaru-kun. Students, this is Kishiko of the Uzumaki clan."

The trio greeted her respectfully.

"A pleasure," Kishiko said, smiling uneasily. She seemed nervous, her dark eyes darting around the campsite – not very many people were there, just a few rugged looking men and women, all of whom had red or russet-colored hair.

"Hokage-sama," she murmured, "The situation is worse than anticipated. The rebels are gaining men, and I fear the Whirlpools shall not hold out much longer! If not for your Jounin, we would have fallen last week."

"How goes the evacuation process?" Hiruzen asked, "I'm sure you know that the gates of Konoha are always open to your villagers, whether it be one or one hundred of you."

"I'm afraid it's not that many," Kishiko said, her voice trembling slightly, "The war, and the lack of food and water is taking its toll. I'd place our numbers around thirty to forty."

"And are your ships ready?" Hiruzen asked.

"Ship," Kishiko replied, "And yes, it is. We've stocked it with as many supplies as we could. Right now most of the men are focusing on guarding it from rebels. They will activate the jutsu to control one or two of the Whirlpools tomorrow evening, and hopefully then we shall be able to set sail. It's difficult though – convincing people to leave. This place has been our home for centuries…"

"You have my sympathies," Hiruzen said sorrowfully, "And I hope your people have a safe journey."

"I do too," Kishiko said, biting her lip, "Crossing the Whirlpools will be treacherous. Even if the jutsu holds, it's never been attempted before. I don't know how long we can subdue the water for. It'll have to hold for at least twenty minutes if we're to sail the ships a safe distance away… and even then, I don't want shinobi dying of chakra exhaustion. There are few of us, as is…"

"I wish I could offer you more assistance," Hiruzen said, "But containing jutsus have always been a specialty of your village… sending in more Konoha Jounin would just be a burden."

"Of course, I did not mean to imply anything of Konoha, Hokage-sama!" Kishiko exclaimed, "You have done more than necessary in aiding us, and we sincerely appreciate your help! I apologize for unloading my worries on you – I shouldn't have been so forward as to trouble you with it!"

"It is no trouble," Hiruzen said gently, "Your people have suffered a great deal, and I would do all that is in my power to help. Unfortunately, now, even Konoha is pressed for time, in regards to what I spoke to you about earlier."

He looked at her pointedly, and Kishiko nodded quickly, eyes widening.

"Of course, Hokage-sama. I'll just bring her."

She hurried off to one of the tents, presumably to bring their escort.

"So, who're we escorting, huh?" Tsunade asked Hiruzen for the fifth time during that mission, "Must be some kind of royalty for her to land _us_."

"You could say that," Hiruzen said, smiling slightly, "She's a descendent of the late Kage."

"Do you think she'll know cool jutsu?" Jiraiya asked, "I read that Whirlpool has some pretty awesome ones. Think she'll teach us if we're nice to her?"

"I wouldn't count on that," Hiruzen said.

"Why not?" Jiraiya asked, "We're doing this mission for free! It's the least she can do to pay us-"

The rest of his sentence, however, was cut off, with a loud, piercing shriek.

"What was that?" Tsunade asked, whirling around.

The few villagers, however, seemed unperturbed, and just shook their heads and continued on with whatever they were doing.

"She's at it again," Tsunade heard one of them mutter.

Moments later, a small red and blue blur raced out of the tent Kishiko had entered. The young lady followed behind, leaping in elegant strides, looking rather harrowed.

She practically leapt upon the little blur, struggling to restrain it.

_It, _which they soon realized, was a small boy – or girl – it was difficult to tell.

The child, who couldn't have been more than two and a half to three years old, was a short, chubby little thing. He, or she, had tomato-red hair, which was cropped short and framed the chubby face underneath in short spikes. The top part was disheveled, like a crow's nest. The child had flashing violet eyes, a little button nose, and an innocent-looking rosebud mouth which was currently open in a loud yell. The child was dressed in a light blue tunic and black shorts, and was currently wrestling with the lady restraining it, displaying an alarming strength and ferocity for a barely three-year-old.

"Won't go! Won't go!" the child was squealing, the voice rather high-pitched, which made Tsunade believe it – or rather she, was a girl.

"Kushina, please, calm yourself," Kishiko fairly begged, struggling with the toddler who was kicking, screaming, and punching with her tiny fists.

"WON'T!" the child repeated obstinately, scrunching up her face.

Tsunade covered her ears, but it wasn't enough to muffle the loud shriek that soon followed.

After some more struggling, Kishiko finally managed to calm the child – or at least clamp her hand over the loud mouth. Wrapping her arm around the child's belly, she carried the flailing toddler over.

"This is Kushina Uzumaki," she introduced shortly, "And even though she's acting up right now, she'll probably be glad to accompany you. There aren't any other children and she's been getting bored. She's been eating our heads, and its rather difficult dealing with her tantrums when we're trying to hide from the rebels."

Kushina scrunched up her violet eyes, and kicked out with her small feet, but to no avail.

"Indeed, I have heard quite a lot about her," Hiruzen said, sounding amused, "One of your people said this mission should be S-ranked, considering our escort…"

"Yes, she's quite a handful," Kishiko said, smiling genuinely for the first time, "She could scare even the most steadfast ANBU at times with her yelling. I hope your three students are up to it."

"Oh, I'm sure they are," Hiruzen said, eyes twinkling.

Tsunade, Jiraiya and Orochimaru all surveyed the squirming, struggling toddler in shock. Then-

"_She's _our escort? _She's _the special important person that warrants the best team in Konoha plus the Hokage?" Jiraiya asked incredulously.

"I refuse to escort such a brat," Orochimaru said snidely, "It's demeaning."

"How much energy does this kid have?" Tsunade wondered.

"Oh, endless amounts," Kishiko told her, shaking her head, "And they're about to provide her with an entire powerhouse of more-"

She stopped abruptly at Hiruzen's look, and Tsunade knew better than to question her sensei at that time.

"Anyways, good luck with her," Kishiko said, placing little Kushina on the ground.

The child opted not to scream this time, but instead balled her little fists and glared straight ahead, her lower lip trembling.

"Kushina," Kishiko said softly, "Please, be a good girl, will you?"

"M'not liss'nin to you," Kushina said sulkily, before adding, "MEANIE!"

"I'm sorry, Kushina, sweetheart, but you wouldn't listen," Kishiko said, taking one fisted hand in her own, "You have to go with these nice people to a new place. It'll be a lot of fun, you know. There will be new kids you can make friends with their."

"K'shina doesn't WANT to leave," the kid declared, stamping her foot.

Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

"Kushina-chan, I'm sorry, but I promise you'll like it," Kishiko said.

"Where's kaa-san," Kushina asked suddenly, "_I want kaa-san!"_

"Oh, sweetheart," Kishiko seemed upset now, hugging the little girl, "I'm sorry."

Kushina was stiff for a moment, and when Kishiko pulled away, there were tears streaming down her round face.

Kishiko straightened up, and looked at Team Hiruzen.

"I know she's a handful," she said softly, "But she's been going through a lot. Her parents are dead, and she's a lot sharper and smarter than most kids, so she can usually tell what's going on. She's a really sweet kid underneath all her temper tantrums; she's just having a rough time right now, a really rough time."

"I promise we will take the best possible care of her," Hiruzen said.

"She's a strong one too," Kishiko went on, "The last direct descendent of the Kage. But she's still so small, I'm not sure if she can handle that much chakra and an entire-"

"_Thank you, _Kishiko-san," Hiruzen said sharply, "We'll be taking our leave now. I hope everything fares well with your evacuation, and my gravest condolences to you and the rest of the villagers."

"Hokage-sama," Kishiko murmured, dipping her head.

She summoned the two birds again, and Hiruzen mounted one.

"Kushina-chan," he said gently, "This is Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and that's Tsunade. They're your new friends. Who do you want to sit with?"

The little girl said nothing for awhile, surveying the three with wide, watery eyes. Then suddenly, she sat down on the ground, curled into a little ball, and started bawling loudly.

"I think its best you leave," Kishiko said urgently, "We need to get moving, and she's not going to quiet down anytime soon…"

"I'll take her," Tsunade volunteered, kneeling down and picking up the crying toddler. Kushina struggled for a few moments, but then allowed Tsunade to lift her up, burying her face in Tsunade's hair, clamping her chubby arms around Tsunade's neck. Tsunade could feel the tears dripping down the girl's cheeks onto her neck, feel her small body shaking, and felt a sudden rush of pity for this toddler – how unfortunate that such a small child lose her entire family, and her home, to war – at this tender age…

Tsunade sat on one of the birds, and Jiraiya followed her, while Orochimaru went with their sensei again.

"Bye, Kushina-chan!" Kishiko called, "Farewell, shinobi of Konoha. Please, keep her safe, and have a good journey back!"

The bird took off, steadily gaining altitude and leaving the island behind.

"Look, and remember this sight," Hiruzen said sorrowfully, "This is probably the last time anyone will ever behold the Land of the Whirlpools."

Tsunade did, staring at the land, and water, below her in silence, as the roaring of the whirlpools filled her ears.

A few moments later, Kushina's loud wailing joined the racket.

/\/\/\/\/\

Fortunately for Team Hiruzen, Kushina's sorrow hadn't lasted for long. By the time they had dismounted the birds, she was already fast asleep in Tsunade's arms. Tsunade, Jiraiya and Orochimaru alternated carrying her for the next part of the journey – she slept like a rock, for nearly ten hours – and they travelled at a slower pace so not to disrupt her. She was far calmer asleep – calmer and innocent looking, and less likely to attract enemy ninja with her screaming.

Kushina awoke when Orochimaru had been carrying her. The pale boy stiffened, as the toddler began squirming, expecting some sort of miniature explosion.

Kushina, however, for whatever reason, was in high spirits after her nap. She rubbed at her face with little fists, before looking around curiously at her four escorts with bright eyes, blinking.

She started squirming in Orochimaru's grasp, and the boy slowly put her down. She seemed happy with that, and scampered over to Tsunade.

"Hi!" she chirped.

"Hello," Tsunade said cautiously, though she smiled.

The kid was rather adorable – and she was probably only a few months older than Nawaki.

"M'hungry," Kushina declared, though she was rather cheerful.

"Oh," Tsunade said, rummaging in her pack, until she found some bread, and offered it to Kushina, "Here, would you like some?"

Kushina's eyes widened and she grabbed the loaf, shoveling it down her mouth; it was alarming how one so small could eat so much food so quickly, but she soon finished the entire thing and was holding her hands out expectantly for more.

"Uh – here you go," Jiraiya said, offering her a biscuit.

She quickly finished that as well, and Team Hiruzen regarded her with interest.

"She eats like Jiraiya," Orochimaru observed.

Jiraiya puffed his chest out with pride at this.

"It's not a compliment, baka," Orochimaru told him, "It means you eat like a three-year old!"

After Kushina was finished, she stared around at her new companions with the same wide-eyed interest from before. She bounced up towards Tsunade.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice full of childlike innocence.

"I'm Tsunade," Tsunade replied, "Tsunade Senju."

"Ts-ts-snade," Kushina attempted to say her name, scrunching up her nose cutely.

"I'm Jiraiya," Jiraiya offered, holding out his palm.

Kushina garbled something, that didn't quite sound like his name, but took his proffered hand, grasping two of the fingers tightly.

"Me, K'shina," she said, pointing at herself and nodding.

"We know that," Tsunade said, smiling.

Jiraiya was smiling as well – so was Orochimaru, for once.

Tsunade wanted to hug the kid, but restrained herself. Kushina wasn't Nawaki, and probably wasn't as sweet-tempered. Despite her innocuous behavior at the moment, she seemed capable of starting another screaming rage if hugged too tightly.

Kushina grinned and then walked towards Orochimaru, nearly tripping her chubby legs over a rock, just managing to steady herself.

She stared up at him in interest, and he kneeled down.

"Orochimaru," he said softly, pointing to himself.

Kushina made a face, and he repeated his name.

"O-chi-" she attempted, but then decided not to bother.

Her interest, which apparently was swayed rather easily, was then caught by Hiruzen. She stood in front of the Hokage, her small two-foot tall figure dwarfed by his, and pointed upwards.

"Hat!" Kushina squealed excitedly.

"Yes, it is a hat," Hiruzen said, smiling as he touched the white and red Hokage hat that rested on his head.

"Hat!" Kushina repeated, stamping her foot this time, for emphasis.

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.

"K'shina wants HAT!" the child yelled, and Hiruzen hesitated.

But her lower lip jutted out, and her chin began to tremble, so the Third Hokage of Konoha didn't have much of a choice. He leaned down and presented Kushina with the accessory.

"Do be careful," he urged the toddler.

Kushina grabbed the hat with outstretched hands, looking absolutely delighted. She then attempted to place it on her own head – it was far too big for her, and slipped off, but she held it, giggling and beaming at them from underneath.

"You look very nice," Jiraiya told her, and she smiled sweetly.

They proceeded onwards, though their pace was slowed greatly by Kushina, who restricted their pace to a brisk walk as she scampered along on her stubby legs.

Tsunade offered to carry Kushina, but the now rather hyperactive child refused obstinately and squirmed away from her grasp. She then proceeded to run around psychotically, giggling gleefully as Jiraiya shot after her, attempting to catch her. He'd manage, soon enough (slowing his pace to humor her) but then she'd shoot off again, reveling in this new game.

"She seems to have an endless amount of energy," Tsunade observed, smiling as Kushina barreled past, squealing with delight. Jiraiya lumbered after her, shouting out mock-threats.

"It's good Jiraiya finally has someone his age to play with," Orochimaru said, and Tsunade stifled a snort.

"I heard that, jackass!" Jiraiya yelled over his shoulder, grabbing Kushina around the waist. The toddler shrieked and kicked furiously.

"I think it's time for a change, don't you think, Kushina-chan?" Jiraiya asked her, grinning, "How about – _you _catch _me _now!"

And with that he took off, leaving a bewildered, blinking Kushina, who realized that her pursuer had run away from her. She blinked for a moment, her violet eyes large, and then seemed to understand, her small face breaking out into a toothy smile.

"Me's coming!" she cried out childishly, panting as she pounded on after Jiraiya.

As Jiraiya and Kushina ran around, supervised by Hiruzen, Tsunade seized the opportunity to interrogate Orochimaru.

"Why's Jiraiya acting so weird around me?" she demanded, dropping her voice to a whisper, even though the boy in question was too busy chasing the little hyperactive ball of energy that was Kushina Uzumaki to hear.

Orochimaru gave her a blank look, and Tsunade rolled her eyes, cracking her fist.

"_Don't _play innocent with me, Oro-kun, because I know you know. You guys may act like you hate each other, but Jiraiya talks to you about things, I _know _he does…"

Tsunade inwardly wondered why that was – why Jiraiya seemed to confide in Orochimaru more than her off-late – and a part of her twinged, maybe with jealousy, but she brushed it aside.

"You're wrong, Tsunade-hime," Orochimaru said coolly, "He hasn't told me anything about – whatever you think it is he's told me something about."

The ambiguity of his answer only convinced Tsunade further that Orochimaru knew something.

"What do you think I think you know about?" she asked immediately.

"What an intriguing question," Orochimaru said, smirking.

"Orochimaru," Tsunade growled threateningly, flexing her arm.

"Tsunade-hime," he answered serenely, his fingers lengthening.

Tsunade made an expression of disgust, and turned around.

"Fine!" she huffed, "_Fine_! Don't tell me! I don't even care. Jiraiya's an idiot, and you're an apathetic creep!"

She stormed off, Orochimaru easily keeping pace with her, his green eyes alight with amusement.

"Tsunade-hime, I swear he really hasn't told me anything," Orochimaru said again.

"I've seen the look on your face when – he acts weird," she countered, "You get this all-knowing smirk – ha! Like that, right there!"

Orochimaru did smirk, but just shook his head.

"I don't know, I can only make a guess from what I've deduced about his behavior. Jiraiya hasn't told me anything and he'd probably throw a fit if he realized that I knew what I think I know. I'm surprised _you _haven't picked it up though, princess. He's fairly obvious about it…" Orochimaru trailed off.

"Fairly obvious about _WHAT, DAMNIT?" _Tsunade practically yelled in frustration.

Orochimaru just chuckled, and picked up his pace.

"And here I thought Jiraiya was the dumb one…"

"Orochimaru. I will _vasectomize _you."

"Come on, princess, I know you haven't gotten _that _far in your medical training yet…"

"Why – you – HEY! COME BACK HERE!"

Hiruzen, who was trailing the group, picked up his pace, shaking his head. Jiraiya and Kushina were playing tag, and causing quite a racket, but he'd always thought Tsunade – and _Orochimaru, _the well-behaved, stoic Orochimaru -were the two more well-behaved of the group. And now a laughing Orochimaru was being pursued through the trees by a deadly-looking, glaring Tsunade – which could never be good. Hiruzen wondered what the boy had done to incur her wrath, since usually it was Jiraiya who bought about such reactions. Still, with the four of them running amok, it would be a wonder if they reached Konoha safely and un-ambushed…

/\/\/\/\/\

By the time Konoha's green gates loomed ahead, Kushina was fast asleep, and was being carried piggyback by Jiraiya, with whom she had hit it off surprisingly well. Orochimaru and Tsunade walked on either side of him.

"Are we meeting up later today for training?" Jiraiya asked his teammates, "We haven't actually done any fighting this mission. So much for it being high ranked…"

"Aren't you tired from all your – running?" Orochimaru asked snarkily.

"No, I'm all up for a spar if you are," Jiraiya shot back, "Tsunade-chan?"

"Let's meet," Tsunade agreed, "I've been so caught up in my medical ninjutsu training, I haven't punched anything in a while…"

She looked at Orochimaru when she said this, eyes glinting.

"Indeed, let's," Orochimaru agreed hurriedly, not missing her threat, "Jiraiya, as much as I'm itching to kick your ass, I think I'll be generous and let you spar with Tsunade-chan today…"

"What?" Jiraiya was confused and then grinned, nodding, "Haha, yeah, thanks man…"

"Hey, what if _I _want to spar with _you, _huh?" Tsunade snarled, "Stop trying to worm your way out of it! No offense, Jiraiya, but for once, I'd actually rather punch his face in than yours…"

"I – uh – that's nice to know?" Jiraiya said, confused, looking over at Orochimaru.

"Don't think you're getting away with this, Orochimaru," Tsunade said, mock-threateningly, before flouncing off to ask Hiruzen something.

"Dude, what did _you _do to piss her off?" he whispered, under his breath, shifting Kushina on his back.

"More than you'd know," Orochimaru said, shaking his head, "You owe me for this, you enormous idiot…"

"Huh? Me?" Jiraiya was taken aback, "Why would I –"

"Because you're so _damn _obvious, and I'm sick of covering up your little secret," Orochimaru hissed.

Jiraiya blanched.

"I – have no idea what you-you're talking about," he stammered.

"Stop pretending, Jiraiya," Orochimaru glared at him, "Either tell her, or stop acting like such a deluded moron."

"You – really think I should tell her?" Jiraiya asked, blushing.

"Frankly, I don't care," Orochimaru said, shrugging, "Just make up your mind, because the next time she pesters _me _about it, I'm telling her. I don't want my bones broken, thanks."

"But – no – you can't!" Jiraiya said frantically, "Come on – just – I don't know what to do!"

"And I'm not about to give you love advice," Orochimaru deadpanned, "Have fun at training. I'll be sure to keep bandages around…"

/\/\/\/\/\

They deposited a still-slumbering Kushina at the Hokage Tower, where Mito was waiting to receive her.

"Hello, Tsunade-chan, Jiraiya-kun, Orochimaru-kun," she greeted, "How was the mission?"

"A success, Mito-sama," Jiraiya said, handing over Kushina.

"Obaa-san!" Tsunade chirped, "How come you're here for her? Where's she staying? And are you feeling well?"

"I'm fine, Tsunade-chan," Mito smiled, "And Biwako will be taking custody of her. I'm just here helping your sensei out with some administrative duties."

"So you'll be moving back in with us, right?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes, I will, after – next week," Mito said.

Kushina stirred, and then chose that moment to slowly wake up. Jiraiya put her down, and she surveyed her surroundings, confused. Her eyes soon fell on Mito, and they widened. Then-

"OBAAAAAA-SAAAAN!" Kushina wailed, running forward and burying her head in Mito's stomach, as Mito kneeled down to embrace her.

"Hello, Kushina-chan! You've grown taller since I last saw you," she said, her voice warm.

_Obaa-san_? Tsunade wondered, _Only I call her that…_

Mito looked up, her honey-eyes meeting Tsunade's confused ones.

"Kushina's the granddaughter of my brother. He was the Kage of Uzushio…" she explained.

"So that makes her my – cousin?" Tsunade asked, bewildered, and Mito nodded.

Tsunade stared at the small child, who for some inexplicable reason was now sobbing into Mito's chest, as the lady gathered her in her lap, soothing her with soft words.

_I have another sibling, _she thought, smiling, _a younger sister…_

A few minutes later, Kushina's sobbing subsided.

"Kushina-chan," Mito said gently, "You've met Tsunade, right? Well, you don't know this, but Tsunade is actually your cousin. Isn't that nice? You have me, and you have an older sister too. Isn't that nice, Kushina-chan?"

Kushina turned around, and looked at Tsunade out of red-rimmed eyes.

"Hey, Kushina," Tsunade said softly, "I didn't know, but it's pretty cool right?"

Kushina walked over to her, and Tsunade kneeled down, while the child surveyed her, almost with an air of an ANBU inspecting a criminal. Then –

"Onee-chan!" Kushina said, her mood shifting drastically, and she smiled sunnily.

Warmth blossomed in Tsunade's chest, and she smiled.

Hopefully, Kushina and Nawaki would get along…

/\/\/\/\/\

"Where's Orochimaru?" Tsunade growled, once Team Seven had reached their training grounds.

Jiraiya looked around, confused, and saw that their teammate had indeed slipped off somewhere, unnoticed.

"You can – spar with me, Tsunade-chan?" Jiraiya suggested meekly.

"Fine," Tsunade said, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder, "But make it good, 'cause I feel like punching something!" 

"Ha," Jiraiya grinned, his voice teasing, "Too bad you're sparring me, then!"

"Oh, bring it on," Tsunade muttered, before charging.

"Katon: Hosenka no jutsu!" Jiraiya yelled, spitting out fireballs at Tsunade, effectively forcing her to leap aside from her path.

He took advantage of her temporary distraction, smirking at the way she frowned at the signature _Uchiha _jutsu (which he'd used primarily to piss her off), and aimed a low kick at her leg. She jumped over, his foot missing her by a hair's breath.

"Shit!" Tsunade swore, as the fireballs receded, only for a volley of spinning shuriken to emerge from the smoke, tips gleaming.

She didn't have time to deflect and dodge Jiraiya's cleverly hidden shuriken, so instead ducked down and punched the ground, forcing a large mud wall to manifest in front of her. The shuriken thudded off its surface uselessly.

Tsunade then leapt around the clearing, kicking her heel into ground. Large ruptures and cracks opened up, reducing the field size and restricting Jiraiya's maneuverability.

Jiraiya groaned – if she was going to start punching things apart, this battle would get rather annoying.

She charged at him again, palm glowing with chakra, and he sidestepped, lashing out with a kunai. Tsunade gritted her teeth, as Jiraiya dodged her blow, and she was forced to draw a kunai as well.

Clang!

Metal clashed on metal, and Jiraiya's arm was jarred from the strength of impact; Tsunade was hellishly strong. But he held his ground, easily enough, and twisted her arm, managing to slide his leg under hers, tripping her backwards. Tsunade fumbled for a moment, and Jiraiya quickly made the seals for a shadow clone, which materialized behind her, kunai in hand, posed to strike.

Tsunade, however, allowed herself to fall backwards, jabbing the ground with her elbow as she fell. A giant rock sprung out of nowhere, dissolving the clone almost as soon as it had formed, and Tsunade rolled back up, unfazed, brushing the dirt out of her hair.

"Not bad," Jiraiya complimented, "But you missed one…"

Tsunade whirled around, as yet another clone advanced, hurling a ball of what looked like concentrated wind chakra at her. She yelped, unable to form a barrier in time, and the chakra singed her hair, cutting off a few strands, as she ducked down. Jiraiya leapt at her from behind, kunai flashing, and she bought out her own, as he attacked her from the back, stopping the weapon just inches from her throat.

His chest was centimeters from her back, his arms twisted around her torso so he could hold her in place, their crossed kunai dangerously close to her neck.

"Dead," Jiraiya said, a hint of triumph creeping into his voice.

"No!" Tsunade growled, and he could feel her trembling. She began to draw chakra towards her foot, obviously intending to kick him, _hard, _but he stopped her, pressing his kunai forward with more force.

"You know I can cut your neck if I push harder," Jiraiya said, "I just don't want to injure you…"

"Tch, what makes you think _I'll _be the one injured?" Tsunade shot back, though Jiraiya noted with satisfaction that her foot wasn't glowing with chakra anymore.

"Don't push it, princess," he warned, "I've won this round."

"No!" Tsunade protested, struggling, "You haven't!"

Jiraiya yelped as her fingers brushed against his, sending a few jolts of what seemed like electricity through his nerves, and his hold on the kunai faltered for a moment.

Tsunade managed to twist around in that much time, wrestling him back, until her kunai was pointing at his neck, stopped only by his hand gripping her wrist, pushing it away.

"Now who's dead?" she asked cockily, raising an eyebrow.

Jiraiya just shook his head, smiling and nodded behind her. Tsunade turned her head slightly, and cursed.

Standing a few inches away, hands full of shuriken, was another clone.

"You're good, Tsunade-chan, very good," Jiraiya said jauntily, "But I've won today… in fact, I think you should give me something for it… you know, like a prize for my victory…"

Tsunade was actually shocked like this, dropping her hold on him, moving out of her defensive position.

"What the hell do you mean?" she asked, her hands on her hips, "We've never had stakes on these spars before!"

"Well, I've never wanted anything before," Jiraiya said slowly.

"So what the hell do you want now?" Tsunade demanded.

Jiraiya paused, considering her, and then leaned forward, flashing her a blinding smile.

"Since I've won this spar, will you go on a date with me tonight?"

"…"

There was eerie silence in the training field for a moment, as Tsunade stared at her teammate, who was now blushing slightly, wondering if he could possibly be serious.

She stiffened, her face growing blank, but Jiraiya could practically see the gears turning in her head, as he prayed silently in his head.

Something seemed to click then, and Tsunade's eyebrow twitched, her honey eyes narrowing a fraction. Then –

THUMP!

"YOU FREAKING IDIOT!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Tsunade's shrill shriek, and Jiraiya's scream echoed in the training ground, as the girl leapt forwards, walloping him with a fist blazing with chakra.

Jiraiya flew up, quite a distance, flailing in the air for a good ten seconds as he sailed across the clearing and towards the trees, before landing with a thump and a crack.

Tsunade, who had been seething and shaking in anger, suddenly came back to her senses at the noise, torn out of her rage.

"Oh!" she gasped, her hands covering her mouth as she surveyed her groaning teammate from where he lay, bruised and battered.

"Good job, princess," Orochimaru said silkily, landing gracefully next to her from as he leapt down from an above tree branch, from where he'd been surveying the spar, "That must have been over fifty meters…"

"Oh – oh no – oh kami-sama, what have I done?" Tsunade was whispering to herself, her eyes wide.

Jiraiya had gone completely white.

"Broken a bone or two, from the look of it," Orochimaru said, shaking his head as he hurried forward to their fallen teammate.

Tsunade stood rooted to the spot, her anger and confusion dissolving almost immediately to be replaced by overwhelming guilt.

"Jiraiya, c'mon," Orochimaru said, kneeling down and attempting to help the boy up.

Jiraiya hissed in pain, cradling his arm, and refused to cooperate.

"Come on, you big lump, I can't carry you myself and we need to get you to a medic," Orochimaru urged, surprisingly calm.

He finally managed to heft Jiraiya up, the white-haired boy resting heavily on him, and began to walk slowly out of the training ground.

"W-wait!" Tsunade called from behind them, as she started to run towards her teammates, "I – I can heal him!"

"He needs a medic," was all Orochimaru said, barely turning his head to acknowledge her, "I'll take him, it's alright."

Jiraiya seemed to have passed out on Orochimaru's shoulder from the look of it.

Tsunade swallowed her next sentence – she could see where she wasn't wanted, and this time, it was well-deserved. She'd hit Jiraiya before, but never with _such _force! She was sure the impact of her hit had cost him a few bones. Though it wasn't uncommon for shinobi to get injured during training, broken bones included, Team Seven had always restrained some of their powers when fighting. Tsunade knew Jiraiya and Orochimaru did with her, and she always had with them as well. They could easily kill each other, and it was better to avoid unnecessary injury. Though Tsunade knew Jiraiya would be fine by the next morning, guilt weight heavily in her stomach.

_I shouldn't have lost control, _she thought, her stomach sinking.

Then she remembered what he'd said, that had made her explode, and the sinking feeling intensified. She remembered the somewhat dopey look on his face, the blush, all those times he'd been inexplicably nice to her over the past few months – and it all fell in place.

_No_, Tsunade thought, her head spinning, _no, please, Jiraiya, no…_

Her stomach lurched wildly for a moment, and Tsunade sat down, in the middle of the clearing, wondering what on earth would happen to their team _now._

/\/\/\/\/\

"So I probably shouldn't have told her, yeah?" Jiraiya half-asked, half-admitted as he sat slumped on a white bed in the hospital.

Orochimaru sighed from where he was leaning against the wall next to Jiraiya's bed, his arms crossed.

"Not during a _spar _Jiraiya," he said quietly, "_That _was a mistake…"

"Well," Jiraiya looked down, sounding rather disappointed, "Guess that counted as my first rejection, right?"

"And _what _a rejection!" Orochimaru snorted, before narrowing his green eyes.

"Jiraiya?" he asked sharply.

"What?" Jiraiya flinched at the tone of his voice, looking up.

"_First _rejection?"

"Hahaha," Jiraiya laughed sheepishly, scratching his head, "Well, c'mon… you didn't expect me to just – give up on her? I mean – she's probably playing hard to get and – hey, Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru slapped his forehead with his hand, looking utterly disgusted.

"Hey!" Jiraiya defended, his cheeks coloring, "I – I don't give up, okay! That's my – ninja way, man!"

"Usuratonkachi!" Orochimaru muttered, though he looked at him almost pityingly now.

"Call me what you want, asshole, but I'm not letting a few measly broken bones get in the way of me and Tsunade-chan! I'll make her my girlfriend and –"

"Prepare yourself," Orochimaru interrupted warningly, "To come back here many, _many _more times then."

"Haha, real funny… wait, you don't really think so, right? Right? I mean, I shocked her the first time but she's bound to cave in soon, fall to my manly charms and-"

"What manly charms?" Orochimaru had to ask, his lips twitching in amusement.

"Ugh, teme! Just because you look like a girl and are probably _gay_-"

The conversation took a turn for the worse at that moment, and minutes later, the haggled nurses were ushering Orochimaru out of the hospital room, and forcibly restraining a recovering Jiraiya from rushing after him.

/\/\/\/\/\

_Please let this be a crush, nothing more, _Tsunade prayed to herself as she trudged home.

She'd wanted to go check up on Jiraiya, but figured it wouldn't be a good time. Orochimaru had gone with him, so it was pointless looking for her other teammate as well. Her mind was in too much of a turmoil for her to bother with medical ninjutsu, which required perfect concentration, so she just opted to go straight home.

"Nawaki?" she called softly, after entering the house; it was quite empty. Both her parents were on missions, and Mito was at the Sarutobi residence.

It sometimes annoyed Tsunade that no one was ever at home – though the maids were more than competent to take care of Nawaki, Tsunade thought the boy deserved more family members around at times like this. She supposed it was one of the disadvantages that came with being born into such a prestigious clan. Though her parents had doted on her as a child, along with Hashirama and Tobirama, Tsunade ended up spending most of her time with Mito, since the other four were usually so busy with their duties.

"Hello," she greeted, managing a smile as she walked into Nawaki's room. The little boy was playing with his rubber shuriken, but gave an excited squeak when he saw her.

"Nawaki," Tsunade cooed, gathering him into her arms. A lump formed in her throat, and her eyes stung, for some reason, and she hugged the little toddler.

"Onee-chan!" Nawaki chirped, and Tsunade smiled genuinely.

That had been his first word, which he'd picked up a few months ago, and it had made her immensely proud.

Some of the confusion and discomfort she'd been feeling from earlier faded away, and Tsunade sighed loudly.

"Oh, Nawaki," she murmured, petting her brother's head, "I know you're going to be a great ninja, and I hope you're lucky to have amazing teammates like me. I just hope you don't do anything – _stupid _– to mess things up…"

Nawaki gurgled and Tsunade knew he didn't understand her, but she allowed herself to relax, and spent the next few hours playing with him, and vainly attempting to teach him how to properly hold and throw his rubber shuriken.

It was true, he was too young – but in the ninja world, most shinobi believed, the sooner the infants were accustomed, the better.

After Nawaki fell asleep, however, Tsunade wasn't sure what to do. It was dinnertime, and she usually ate with her teammates or family – but none of her relatives were here, Jiraiya was probably still in the hospital (and she didn't know how to face him) and even Orochimaru, for whatever reason, hadn't come to meet her yet.

Tsunade sighed loudly, burying her face in her hands.

On hindsight, maybe punching Jiraiya _that _hard hadn't been necessary – but he'd taken her by surprise – and she'd been utterly stunned by his revelation.

More than that, she'd been worried.

Worried for their team.

She, Orochimaru and Jiraiya, despite seeming somewhat dysfunctional, had formed tight bonds over the years. They worked together seamlessly when required, and were a perfect team, the best Tsunade could ask for. Everything had seemed okay in the innocence of youth, but Tsunade wasn't stupid. She knew that relations between teammates were not a good idea in the ninja world; they would upset team dynamics, and could even prove fatal during missions. Even though in her heart, Tsunade knew she cared too much about both her teammates anyways, if Jiraiya suddenly decided to have a freaking unnecessary _crush _on her, it would just complicate matters!

Everything had been perfect! And now – he just had to ruin it!

Though a part of Tsunade, buried deep within her, had been somewhat _flattered _by his confession, overall, she had been horrified, and hoped that it was just a fleeting infatuation or bout of insanity.

She liked Jiraiya. She _really _did, despite his idiosyncrasies. He was her best friend and she didn't want _anything _coming in the way of that.

Especially not a stupid crush.

Moreover, it would distract them from their training, from their actual objectives – and Tsunade knew that in the path of the ninja, a path that both she and Jiraiya desired to follow – such a deviation would be unacceptable.

Besides, they were barely teenagers, and not even Jounin yet!

No, a crush certainly wouldn't do, especially at this point.

And it was _Jiraiya. _Stupid, ridiculous, annoying, crazy, loud-mouthed, wannabe-writer Jiraiya. Her teammate. He was romantically retarded, and generally insane. Even if they were older and more qualified, Tsunade wouldn't ever date him.

Heck she'd rather date _Orochimaru _– not that she'd _ever _considered dating that particular teammate of hers either. Certainly not.

"Ugh!" Tsunade groaned, "You idiot!"

She wasn't sure who she was referring to when she said that. Her stomach fluttered weirdly, and Tsunade stood up, shaking her head, muttering to herself.

_I'll just have to beat it out of him, _Tsunade thought grimly, _if this continues. It's for his own good, and the sake of the team. I don't like him like that – I'm not even ready for relationships! He should focus on his training, and I should too! He'll thank me later, once he's older!_

/\/\/\/\/\

"Hello," Tsunade said timidly, the next morning at training, as Jiraiya walked in.

Her eyes flicked over him rapidly, assessing his injuries – he wasn't limping, he wasn't even bending over weirdly – he seemed completely healed, in fact.

Tsunade heaved a sigh of relief, and Jiraiya smiled at her sunnily.

"Good morning, Tsunade-chan!" he grinned, "Hope you didn't lose too much sleep thinking of me?"

Tsunade resisted the urge to punch him, though she realized he wasn't far from the truth, even if she hadn't been thinking about him the way he was implying.

"No, I didn't," she said carefully, as Orochimaru entered from between the trees, "But I was worried about your injuries. I hope you're all healed now…"

She spoke carefully, almost formally – it was _weird _talking like that with Jiraiya – and Orochimaru watched warily.

"Oh, I'll live," Jiraiya said melodramatically, and Tsunade rolled her eyes, "But you know what they say always makes an injury better, right?"

"Jiraiya, cut the crap," Tsunade snapped, "Your joke isn't funny anymore!"

"Who said it's a joke?" Jiraiya asked, his eyes meeting hers.

His gaze was oddly intense, and Tsunade fought back a blush, though her heart sank at his words.

"Jiraiya, I don't get why you're randomly saying that you like me. You're probably just doing it to piss me off, in which case, it's working. But seriously, just stop it, and concentrate on your training okay, and let me concentrate on mine," Tsunade said, fighting to stay calm as she recited the speech she'd memorized the last night.

"I'm not trying to piss you off," Jiraiya told her seriously, "Quite the opposite. And I'm not going to _distract _you, Tsunade-chan… unless you get distracted by yourself. I mean, few woman can resist the glorious, handsome _me_…"

"Oh, what would it take for you to freaking get _over _yourself!" Tsunade cried, now frustrated.

"Just one date," Jiraiya said, sounding almost suave for once, "I believe you owe me one for yesterday?"

"We both know what happened when you tried that trick last, you idiot," Tsunade growled, her fingers twitching.

"Yes, but you wouldn't injure your poor Jiraiya again, Tsunade-chan?" Jiraiya asked, with exaggerated hurt, "Kami-sama knows you wounded me more than enough last time…"

"Jiraiya," Tsunade said, modulating her voice to a normal pitch and loudness, "You're asking for it…"

"Asking for what?" Jiraiya asked, strutting forward.

He put his hands on her shoulders, and Tsunade jerked back, as if electrocuted.

This only seemed to encourage Jiraiya for some reason, and he smiled disarmingly.

"I'm asking you for one date, Tsunade-chan, that's all. Not for beating you in the spar, before you start screeching-"

"I don't screech!" Tsunade interrupted, screeching indignantly.

"But for injuring me," Jiraiya continued, smirking, "I was deeply hurt, Tsunade-chan, physically and mentally. I need some compensation…"

"I'll give you freaking compensation," Tsunade growled, pulling her arm back, but cold fingers wrapped around her wrist.

"Don't Tsunade," Orochimaru's voice said softly in her ear, and Tsunade shivered.

"Drop it, Jiraiya," he told the other boy, "You guys are wasting time. Let's start training."

"What are _you _interfering for?" Jiraiya protested, glaring at Orochimaru rather vehemently.

Tsunade pulled away from his grasp, annoyed, though she paid heed to his words; there was no need for _another _physical fight, no matter how much she wanted it.

"Come on, Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya had begun whining now, and the sound grated her ears, "It's only a date! It's not like I'm asking you to be my girlfriend!"

Tsunade froze at this, and Jiraiya unwisely added, "Yet."

A myriad of emotions bubbled inside Tsunade, and struggling slightly, she fixed her most derisive scowl on Jiraiya, adopting her most condescending tone (the one she used to use when speaking to her Uchiha classmates).

"I'd rather date Orochimaru than date you," she said scathingly, and rather unthinkingly.

Then she turned around and marched off, missing the utterly shocked look that passed Jiraiya's face – mingled with anger, and a hint of disappointment – before the white-haired boy fixed an undoubtedly jealous gaze on his pale, dark-haired teammate.

Orochimaru, on his part, had narrowed his green eyes slightly, slim eyebrows rising by a fraction of a centimeter – which, in his stoic, expressionless ways translated to bemusement and surprise – before meeting Jiraiya's envious gaze.

"She's just trying to get under your skin," he said quickly, "She didn't – she wouldn't actually-"

"Yeah, yeah, save it," Jiraiya snorted, rolling his eyes, "I know. Like she'd date an asocial girly-looking freak like you, anyway."

He sounded strongly convinced, and Orochimaru knew better than to contradict him at that moment.

"She's just playing hard-to-get, Tsunade-chan, I know it… she'll melt soon, just you watch, teme…"

"If you say so," Orochimaru said neutrally, opting not to speak more on the topic.

/\/\/\/\/\

When Tsunade reached home that day, abandoning her insufferable teammates for practicing medical ninjutsu independently, she was pleasantly surprised to find Mito back home, feeding Nawaki.

"Obaa-san!" Tsunade cried joyously, "Are you moving back in now?"

"Yes, I am," Mito nodded, gesturing at the seat next to her, "Come, sit."

"How was your operation?" Tsunade asked, sliding into the chair, ruffling Nawaki's hair, "Hello, otouto!"

Nawaki gurgled happily, munching on his food.

"It was – successful," Mito said, with a grim smile.

"So you aren't going to suffer any bad side effects?" Tsunade asked.

"No – other than a mild – chakra deficit – I'm perfectly normal," Mito said normally, smiling to herself, "Better and more normal than ever, actually."

She seemed oddly relieved about something – Tsunade couldn't tell what – but she almost looked younger and happier, as if relieved of some sort of burden.

Tsunade was glad – whatever disease or sickness her grandmother had been suffering, she hadn't let it show, and even though Mito was a resilient person, Tsunade had been quite worried.

"The new academy year is starting in six months," Mito said, "I'm going to enroll Nawaki and Kushina tomorrow."

"Oh, Kushina's starting too?" Tsunade asked, perking up.

"Yes, she's a few months older than Nawaki," Mito nodded, "And with her blood, it's obvious that girl will become a ninja. I just spoke to some of the clan leaders – even the Nara, Akimichi and Yamanaka kids are enrolling, plus a pair of Hyuuga twins, apparently. It'll be quite a talented batch, theirs."

"I'm sure," Tsunade said, looking impressed, "I didn't know the Hyuuga household had twins… Hikari never told me…"

"Well, you haven't really been in touch with your other friends that much, have you?" Mito asked gently, "You're usually so caught up with Orochimaru-kun and Jiraiya-kun and missions and training! Dan had come by earlier today as well – he'd wanted to meet you…"

"Oh really, Dan?" Tsunade exclaimed excitedly, "He came by to meet me? I'll have to go see him some time! And Hikari and Kasumi and the rest too! I haven't spoken to them properly in ages!"

"You can call them over for lunch some time," Mito suggested, "If you're calling your other classmates tell them to bring their younger siblings along too. It would be nice if Nawaki got some company, started making some friends before he went to the academy. He's shy, you know, it'll be good for him."

"Oh, they'll love him," Tsunade said confidently, leaning over and pinching Nawaki's cheek, "He's a sweetheart. Plus, I bet he'll be brilliant at the tests and things. It's in his genes after all!"

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade went to the library in the Hokage Tower after that, reading up on medical scrolls. It was her favorite place to read – especially because of the amazing view of Konoha it offered. She gazed out of the window, at the Chuunin and Jounin bustling around, and the ANBU who would appear in swirls of leaves and puffs of smoke.

As the sky darkened, she noticed two familiar figures trudging towards the academy from Ichiraku's Ramen store, looking rather tired. It was Jiraiya and Orochimaru, she realized, and they had probably gone there after they finished training.

She couldn't see to clearly, but Orochimaru seemed to be limping, and Jiraiya was cradling his arm; she thought she could see blood. Her medical instincts immediately flared up, and Tsunade had to suppress the urge to run down and heal them. She hated seeing either of them injured.

It didn't seem too serious though, since Jiraiya still had enough energy to randomly shove Orochimaru somewhere, the black-haired boy retaliating with an extended-arm punch. Tsunade smiled to herself, shaking her head – those two were really incorrigible at times. Even after beating the life after each other in a spar, they had energy to fight some more. They seemed to be arguing about something, as she watched them – Jiraiya was gesticulating wildly, and Orochimaru, from what she could read of his limited body language, looked rather exasperated.

They weren't heading in the direction of the hospital, and Tsunade was surprised they didn't stop by her house to have her heal their injuries. They probably considered them too mild – _the idiots_ – and Tsunade made a mental note to check on them the morning during training.

They started fighting again, in the middle of the road, and Tsunade felt no desire to join them, or even bother to break them up this time, as Jiraiya spat out miniature fireballs in Orochimaru's face. Seconds later, they were both in the air, racing over the rooftops at an inhuman pace, as Tsunade watched them, feeling a surge of affection towards both.

They may be idiots at times, Jiraiya especially – but they were strong, and skilled in their own ways – and she was proud to have both of them as her teammates.

She hoped that once Nawaki graduated from the academy, he'd be equally lucky.

/\/\/\/\/\

_A/N – God, I really didn't know how to end that one =P Anyways, please review! I hoped you liked it! The next chapter is when all the next-generation characters get introduced! I was thinking of branching this off somewhat, and giving Kushina's POV as well at times… what do you guys think? Should I? Or should I stick to just the Sannin? Tsunade's POV will remain, since the entire storyline has been made based on that, but would you want some more insights on Minato and Kushina too? They will come a lot, as a side-pairing, but I could elaborate if you guys want me too._

_Also, as __**templar267 **__pointed out (nice job spotting that =P) the timeline may be a bit off in regards to when Kushina came to Konoha. I took some liberties with that, mainly because the Narutopedia timeline doesn't exactly fit when you count years and things, so it's rather confusing. I hope no one minds that; the site is rather vague as to when exactly Kushina came to Konoha, so I decided to make it before SWW2. As far as I know the manga doesn't mention anything specific either, but I may be wrong, in which case I apologize, and I hope the slight deviation from canon doesn't bother anyone!_


	8. You're Special

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

_Author's Note: I am terribly sorry for my horribly long absence, but I have a legit excuse. I don't want to waste your time by having it here, but if you're interested (you're probably not) it's on my profile and will be for a bit :P_

_Anyways, to cut it short: I'm sorry I couldn't update in so long. I'm back on track now, so this story is continuing and I'll be updating more regularly._

_Also – this chapter sort of has spoilers for the recent manga chapters. Well, not really spoilers. But it introduces two characters which are in the recent manga, because I needed villains for my plot, and they were perfect. So yeah. You'll get it once you read it, and even if you don't it doesn't matter, cause in the manga those characters are basically filler._

_Please review when you're done! :) Your words really mean a lot to me!  
_

/\/\/\/\/\

"ONEE-CHAN! WAKE UP!"

Tsunade groaned, rolling over, and buried her head in her pillow to muffle the rambunctious racket her little brother just _had _to make outside her room. At 7 a.m nonetheless.

Little fists pounded on the door incessantly.

"ONEE-CHAN! RIGHT NOW!"

_What a demanding little brat, _Tsunade thought, uncharacteristically annoyed with her sibling, _won't even let me enjoy my one rare day off…_

"I'M COMING IN!" the little voice screeched.

"Nawaki, no-" Tsunade groaned, but it was too late.

The door slammed open, and the endless ball of energy that was her hyperactive three-year old brother shot in, leapt on to the bed, landing right on Tsunade's sleeping form.

"NAWAKI!" Tsunade yelped, effectively woken up, "WHAT THE HECK?"

The little child peeked at her over the covers, hazel eyes twinkling, face beaming with excitement.

"Good morning onee-chan!" Nawaki chirped sweetly.

Tsunade felt her annoyance fade away at the sight of his happy face, and sighed in exasperation.

"Why couldn't you let me sleep in a bit more?" she asked, "It's my day off. I said I'd train with you later-"

"BUT ONEE-CHAN!" Nawaki shrieked, eyes widening indignantly, "I'm starting academy today! You're supposed to drop me!"

_Oh! _Tsunade jolted up, remembering, _of course! That's why he's more hyper and louder than usual today…_

"YOU FORGOT DIDN'T YOU?" Nawaki cried accusingly, pointing a finger at Tsunade at scrunching up his eyebrows in an attempt to look mad.

Tsunade giggled, finding it all too adorable.

"Course not," she smiled, tweaking his nose, "Now leave, I'll just get ready."

"You did!" Nawaki whined, crossing his chubby little arms, "Onee-chan forgot about my big day!"

Tsunade picked up the little ruffian by the collar. Nawaki squirmed and kicked, and Tsunade dumped him unceremoniously outside her door.

"Stay out. I'm changing," she informed him, before shutting her door in his pouting face.

A second later she re-opened it though, feeling almost regretful. The child was still sitting there, looking confused.

"Five minutes, okay?" she promised, ruffling his hair.

/\/\/\/\/\

"What happened to all the excitement?" Tsunade asked, amused, squeezing her little brother's hand.

They were standing outside the Academy building, where a large crowd of shinobi and kunoichi had gathered with their children.

Nawaki mumbled something, and then latched onto her leg, burying his little face behind her skirt.

"Don't wanna…"

"Come on Nawaki," Tsunade urged him, "You'll never be able to become a shinobi if you don't graduate. And to graduate you need to attend school first!"

"How bout next year?" Nawaki suggested, "This year you can train me at home!"

"I can't," Tsunade told him firmly, "Besides I'm busy taking missions with my team and doing medical ninjutsu. I don't have time to train you. Plus, I'm not even skilled enough. I'm just a Chuunin. Once you graduate from here, you'll have a Jounin teaching you. And don't you want to make new friends your age?"

Nawaki paused, considering these arguments. Then –

"Kushina-onee-chan's not starting yet!"

"She's enrolling next week, Nawaki," Tsunade explained, "She was sick, remember? She has to wait for a whole month to recover before she can start attending."

Indeed, Kushina had gone for what Tsunade was told was a 'minor surgery' three weeks ago. It was apparently related to her 'special chakra'. Tsunade had visited at the hospital. For the first week or so she had seemed uncharacteristically pale and depressed. Thereafter, she'd become more hyperactive than before, which for Kushina, was quite the feat. She made Nawaki look like a quiet, calm child.

Though they seemed to be enrolling quite early – until Tsunade reminded herself that she had enrolled at three as well, and graduated at six, along with her teammates. Still, most kids nowadays enrolled by three or four, though they didn't graduate till about seven or eight, sometimes even nine or ten; Tsunade knew her team had been an exception.

She finally managed to coax Nawaki into leaving her side, though she wondered why. The kid had been bursting with excitement over the past week about enrolling. She'd never heard the end of it.

"Look, there's kaa-san," Tsunade said, pointing at her mother, who waved and walked towards them.

"Ah, Nawaki-chan!" her mother greeted, "Excited?"

"No!"

"He's a bit nervous, I think," Tsunade said, gently pushing her brother over, "Come on Nawaki. Go on."

"Thanks for dropping him, Tsunade-chan," her mother smiled, "Are you meeting your team now?"

"I might," Tsunade shrugged, "I mean it's our day off – but that probably means Jiraiya and Oro-kun are sparring or something… maybe I'll just practice some medical ninjutsu…"

"Well, be sure to enjoy yourself and relax a little," Tsukiko said, smiling.

"I will," Tsunade nodded, before leaning down to give Nawaki a quick hug.

"Bye, Nawaki! Be good and pay attention in class, okay!"

"ONEE-CHAN!" Nawaki wailed, clinging onto her, but Tsunade pried him off.

"I have to go now. You'll be alright. Bye, now!"

Tsunade walked out, only to bump into Dan.

"Oh! H-hey!" Tsunade greeted, smiling, "Dan! It's been awhile."

She noticed he'd gotten taller. For some reason, seeing him after all this while gave her an excited leaping feeling in her stomach; it was a distractingly familiar feeling. The kind she'd been getting around a certain dark-haired teammate of hers fairly often recently.

"Tsunade-chan," Dan said, eyes lighting up, "I thought I'd find you here. You dropped off Nawaki, right? My little sister was enrolled too."

"Oh, really? That's great, they'll be classmates. My cousin sister is joining next week."

"Kushina? That's nice."

"Yeah… know anyone else whose enrolling?"

"Yep. I met Izumi Yamanaka here too, a couple minutes back, with her little brother Inoichi. Even the Nara and Akimichi clan kids have enrolled, plus some of the Uchiha I think. And the Inuzuka and Aburame. And Hikari told me there are two Hyuuga twins as well."

"Oh, wow," Tsunade nodded, "All in the same year, huh? That batch is going to be pretty loaded."

"Well, I mean so was ours, what with Sakumo, and then you, Jiraiya and Orochimaru," Dan said smiling.

"Still, I don't think we had that many clan kids," Tsunade said, "They'll probably have to make five or six teams during graduation. We just had four."

"Yeah well," Dan shrugged, "Over the years they've been postponing graduation too. Since the wars are over, I think they prefer keeping them in Academy longer, so they're better trained before they start going on dangerous missions."

"Hm… speaking of missions and teams and stuff… I actually have to go meet mine right now," Tsunade said, "So um – I'll see you later?"

"Sure thing," Dan nodded, "I have a mission, so I have to get going too. See you around, Tsunade-chan!"

"Yeah, bye. And good luck," Tsunade called after him, blushing slightly.

She then began walking towards her team grounds. She didn't really need to meet up with her team. It was her day off. But for some reason, Tsunade had an urge to go meet up with them anyways, as soon as possible, so that she could see Orochimaru again – and Jiraiya, of course.

Besides, she would probably get bored without them. They were fun, and Tsunade couldn't imagine what she would be doing otherwise, if she didn't meet them the entire day. She decided she'd train with them and then spend lunch with them, and then go back home after that to relax and read some medical scrolls. Nawaki would be back from the academy as well by then, and they could go have dinner at the hospital with Kushina.

_Besides, someone needs to supervise those two idiots so that they don't beat each other up, _Tsunade told herself, before smiling slightly, _and since Hiruzen-sensei is busy with his Hokage duties, it'll have to be me._

/\/\/\/\/\

She entered the clearing, and sighed.

She really shouldn't have been surprised.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru had pretty much given up the pretext of sparring – or maybe they had been sparring earlier, but then inevitably some sort of smart comment from one would have pissed the other one of – currently, they weren't even doing what could be qualified as taijutsu.

In fact, all ninja techniques and jutsu forgotten – they were brawling like a pair of civilians.

On the ground. Kicking. Punching. Scratching. Biting. Overuse of expletives.

Tsunade thought she glimpsed a sight of spiny white hair and an elongated arm somewhere in the scuffle – the only hint that the two morons on the ground were actually shinobi (though sensei was right, Orochimaru was fond of using that stretching jutsu way too often).

_This is getting ridiculous, _Tsunade thought, rolling her eyes.

Two of the most powerful shinobi in their year – reduced to what could only be classified as some sort of a retarded catfight.

They hadn't even sensed her chakra or noticed her presence. Or, in all likelihood, they had, but were too caught up in their petty fight to care.

Tsunade's eyebrow twitched. She waited for a full minute.

Finally, she drew her fist up, and punched the ground.

Not a second too late, her teammates sprang apart, finally resembling ninja as they arced backwards through the air and landed gracefully on their feet.

"Tsunade-hime. What. The. Hell," Orochimaru bit out, his green eyes flashing as they met hers.

"Don't give me that look," she snapped at him, "I can't believe you two. What were you even doing?"

"Sparring," Orochimaru and Jiraiya said together, without missing a beat.

"Hi, Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya added after a moment, "Nice of you to come join us on your day off."

"I'll leave pretty soon if you keep this up," Tsunade said, rolling her eyes, "Seriously, can't you two spar like normal shinobi?"

"We were!" Jiraiya defended, gesturing at the destroyed training field.

It was littered with kunai, and shuriken, and there were chunks of charred grass as well as puddles of water – evidence that they had, in fact, used jutsu.

"But then this bastard had to go and make a stupid comment and – Tsunade-chan, _he _started it!" Jiraiya screeched, "Blame _him."_

"I bet it was you," Tsunade shot back, and Orochimaru smirked, "Oro-kun wouldn't have stooped down to this level if _you _hadn't provoked him!"

Jiraiya glared at her darkly.

"Of course," he muttered, "because _Oro-kun _is just so perfect, right?"

"You're both idiots," Tsunade said, "I'm not blaming either of you, but now that I'm here, and you've both fulfilled your momentary desire to exemplify civilian _girls, _could we please spar normally now?"

Both Jiraiya and Orochimaru were silent for a moment, Jiraiya having the decency to look slightly embarrassed, before he piped up.

"Does sparring involve you throwing huge boulders at us like last time? 'Cause if it does I'll pass, thanks."

"You should be able to defend yourself against them," Tsunade sniffed, "What if your enemy used earth-based jutsus on you? What will you do?"

"I don't think I'll ever end up fighting a crazy lady like you-"

"Oh shut up, Jiraiya! It's your fault you're not strong enough to lift boulders yet-"

"Wanna bet on that, sweetheart?"

"Why you little-" Tsunade flushed, enraged by both the 'betting' reference and the endearment – when the hell did Jiraiya start referring to her as 'sweetheart'?

She lunged at him, but he dodged, and Orochimaru watched their exchange with amusement.

"That's the first and last time you're calling me that Jiraiya!" Tsunade shouted warningly.

"So you'd prefer sucker?" Jiraiya asked cheekily, and Tsunade ignored him.

If she attempted to punch Jiraiya (and/or Orochimaru) every time one of them teased or insulted her, she'd run out of chakra pretty quickly.

And punching without chakra was pretty ineffective on both of them.

"What did you mean by what you said before?" Tsunade asked, changing the topic, "You can't actually pick up boulders yet. You don't have the strength to do it without chakra, and you definitely don't have the chakra control."

"If I manage to do it right now, and show you, will you go on a date with me?" Jiraiya asked.

He said it casually, like he had, so many times before. Tsunade was almost getting used to his date requests – they were turning into something of a joke. But he was blushing faintly, and Tsunade's stomach plummeted weirdly.

"Don't piss me off," she warned him, trying to make her voice as flat-sounding as possible.

Jiraiya shrugged.

"Next time then," he said, before walking to the nearest boulder – it was quite an enormous thing, about twice his size.

It took a little bit of effort, but he managed to pick it up, and flung it in the direction of Orochimaru, who leapt to the side, cursing.

"Usuratonkachi, warn me at least!" Orochimaru hissed.

"Meh, I know you have fast reflexes," Jiraiya said carelessly.

Tsunade, in the meantime, stared at her white-haired teammate in shock.

He couldn't have done that with chakra, she knew he wasn't capable. Which meant that he'd done it on brute strength alone.

Her eyes flitted momentarily over his shoulders and arms – she could just see the muscles that he was developing, pushing against the cloth of his yukata.

She looked away almost immediately after that.

_Jiraiya's grown so strong… how could I not have noticed this before?_

Jiraiya was looking at her shrewdly.

"What?" Tsunade asked.

"You're wondering how I got so strong, right?' he asked, smirking.

"The frogs?" Orochimaru supplied.

"The _toads, _yes," Jiraiya corrected him, though he knew it was a deliberate slip-up to annoy him, "But that's not all…"

"Enlighten us, oh powerful one," Orochimaru said sarcastically.

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade, straight in the eyes, a look of burning intensity that made her blush in spite of herself.

"I guess you could say I had incentive," he stated, leaving Tsunade to wonder at his words.

"C'mon, Orochimaru, I wanna show you my awesome new jutsu…"

/\/\/\/\/\

After lunch, Orochimaru and Jiraiya decided to go back and train, as per usual. Tsunade was tempted to join them; it seemed like a much better idea than sitting by herself in the library.

"Could you guys wait up," she asked, "I just need to pick up a few scrolls first."

"We'll come with you," Jiraiya said immediately, "Anyways it's a bad idea training immediately after eating."

"Glad you finally know that now, genius," Orochimaru said sourly, recalling one particularly unpleasant incident where Jiraiya _hadn't _remembered to exercise that particular caution.

"Ha! I totally won that spar," Jiraiya shot back.

"You're disgusting," Orochimaru informed them.

Tsunade smiled to herself, as the duo continued their bickering all the way back to her house.

She picked up the scrolls she'd left there – Biwako-san, Hiruzen-sensei's wife had given them to her. Mito had taken Biwako as her apprentice; she was a skilled medical ninja, and in fact, it had been Biwako who had overseen Kushina's procedure as well. Sometimes, when her grandmother was busy, Tsunade trained with Biwako as well.

"I can only stay out for three hours," Tsunade said, "I have to go pick up Nawaki from the academy after that."

"Oh, he enrolled?" Orochimaru asked, "When?"

"Enrollment was today, baka," Jiraiya said, "Don't you know anything?"

"What about your cousin, that little redheaded brat?" Orochimaru inquired, "Isn't she in the hospital?"

"She is," Tsunade nodded, "That's why she's enrolling next week. Nawaki and I are going to visit her today evening."

"I'm coming too!" Jiraiya declared, "I haven't seen that crazy little runt in over two week!"

"Don't let her hear you call her that," Tsunade said with a smile, "She's insanely strong for a kid of that age."

/\/\/\/\/\

To Tsunade's delight, Orochimaru had decided to accompany her and Jiraiya as well, so it came to be the three of them that went to pick Nawaki up and head to the hospital. Nawaki was thrilled – the child adored her teammates, and was in awe of Orochimaru for some reason.

The boy did exude a calm, quiet power (when he wasn't fighting it out with Jiraiya), so Tsunade could understand the fascination.

She found herself oddly fascinated by her teammate as well – especially those forest green eyes and his – okay, she was really diverting off topic.

Tsunade noticed that the three of them ended up sticking together a lot, even when they weren't on missions. She liked it that way, and hoped that nothing would change. Despite all their constant fighting, nothing ever got too serious (except for the one time she'd punched Jiraiya a bit too hard a few months ago, which had resulted in a couple days of awkwardness before everything went back to normal). She knew the constant fighting and joking was really a testament to how close they were, and how tight their team bonds were. They'd grown together over the years, and had been through a lot. She hoped it always stayed like that.

/\/\/\/\/\

A week later found Tsunade standing outside the Academy again, waiting to pick up Nawaki – and more importantly Kushina, for whom it had been her first day.

Tsunade had her doubts about how well the boisterous little Uzumaki would integrate with the other children. Kushina was a bit of a tomboy – she behaved too roughly and loudly for a girl – but from her face and her hair, which had grown to about shoulder-length and curled prettily under her chin – it was obvious that she wasn't a boy. Since that was the age when boys and girls normally didn't associate with one another (they still had quite a few years to reach the crushing and fangirling stages respectively) Tsunade was slightly worried that Kushina wouldn't be quick to make friends.

That and the fact that though Tsunade found the little girl sweet and altogether amusing, and Mito seemed to regard her as some kind of an angel rather than the redheaded devil she really was – Kushina could be a bit obnoxious and attention-seeking.

Still, Tsunade comforted herself with the fact that Kushina would at least have Nawaki for company.

The wooden door opened, and a large group of children tumbled out, scrabbling in all directions. Tsunade searched the gaggle of kids, and spotted Inoichi, Shikaku and Chouza and the white-eyed Hyuuga children amongst them. A couple of Inuzuka kids sped past her as well, followed by their yapping puppies. The Uchiha children immediately flocked over to where a group of their relatives were standing, all clad in dark shirts with the omnipresent Uchiha fan.

Tsunade scowled to herself; it was quite rich of the Uchiha, flaunting their fan everywhere. Though most kids wore clothes with clan symbols, the Uchiha seemed almost obnoxious in the positioning and size of theirs – right at the back of every article of clothing they possessed.

Tsunade's Senju insignia was stitched onto the underside of her yukata; unlike the Uchiha, though the Senju were proud, they didn't feel the need to flaunt their elite status, obviously. They had class. Or that's how Tsunade saw it.

When the crowd of children gradually dispersed, Tsunade noticed Kushina stomping towards her, her little fists balled at her side, and her hair billowing behind her like red flames. Nawaki was trudging behind her, looking rather wary.

"Otouto, Kushina-chan," Tsunade greeted cautiously, "How was your first day?"

"TERRIBLE!" Kushina screeched almost immediately, stamping her foot on the ground, as if her loud voice wasn't emphasis enough on this fact.

"Oh, that's too bad," Tsunade said, leaning down so she could be on eye-level with the little girl, "Why is that?"

"BECAUSE MINATO NAMIKAZE IS A STUPID FLAKY WIMP WHOSE TRYING TO STEAL MY POSITION AND THAT STUPID UCHIHA LOSER CALLED ME A TOMATO!"

Tsunade paused for a moment, letting the ludicrousness of what the child had just shouted out settle in.

"He – called you a what?" Tsunade asked finally, unsure if she'd heard correctly.

"A tomato, onee-chan," Nawaki piped up, "Because her hair is red, see?"

_Stupid Uchiha, _Tsunade scoffed to herself, _can't even think of decent insults, can they?_

"One of the older boys said it," Nawaki went on, "And it really-"

"IT REALLY PISSED ME OFF!" Kushina cried.

"She beat him up, you know. The Uchiha and the other kids who were making fun of her," Nawaki said, sounding slightly awestruck.

"You beat up an Uchiha?" Tsunade asked, impressed, "Good for you, I guess. You're obviously my sister."

"Yeah! And believe it or not, I'll do it again if he doesn't shut his stupid mouth next time!" Kushina declared passionately, her eyes blazing.

She was also pouting slightly, despite her obvious wrath. Tsunade found her rather adorable.

"They call her the Bloody Habanero now," Nawaki whispered, and Kushina smirked slightly at the mention of her new nickname.

"I – see," Tsunade nodded.

"She's rather scary," Nawaki continued, "Everyone is kinda freaked out by her now 'cept Minato but that's 'cause he's super-good and a genius so-"

"Please!" Kushina scoffed with all the disdain she could muster in her little voice, "Minato's a pansy!"

"Kushina, don't say things like that," Tsunade scolded, "Really where did you pick that word up from?"

"Jiraiya calls Orochimaru it all the time."

"Figures," Tsunade shook her hair, resolving to chastise Jiraiya for the kind of language that he used around kids, especially perceptive ones like Kushina.

"Besides, he is! Have you seen him! As if a flake like that will _ever _be Hokage," Kushina muttered.

"What's this about Hokage now?" Tsunade asked curiously.

Kushina had never voiced any desire about the position before.

"It's my new dream. I'm going to be Hokage of this village," Kushina announced.

"Since when?" Tsunade couldn't help but ask, her lips quirking upwards.

"SINCE TODAY! BELIEVE IT!" the little girl screamed.

"O-kay," Tsunade nodded, "That was sudden. But – why? There's so much paperwork. I would _never _want a position like that. It's the last thing I'd do!"

"Because Hokage is awesome," Kushina explained, "Which is why I totally should get it over Minato-baka!"

"She said she wanted it in class, and everybody laughed," Nawaki said, "And then Minato said he wanted it to, except nobody laughed at him."

"You know the Hokage right, he's your sensei," Kushina said, "You tell him to pick me."

"I – don't think it works like that, Kushina-chan," Tsunade said, a little taken aback, "Nepotism doesn't govern Konoha, despite what the Uchiha idiots may say."

"Nepo-what?" Kushina was confused.

"Never mind," Tsunade shook her hair, "But really, Kushina, why Hokage? Other than – um – the fact that it's – awesome?"

"Because then people will have to acknowledge me," Kushina said, "And I'll have friends and people won't make fun of me."

She sniffed slightly and Tsunade thought she saw her eyes look rater glassy, before the child blinked, and schooled her countenance back into a scowl.

_She's not as happy as she pretends to be, _Tsunade realized, _maybe the loudness and rowdiness is just a façade, just a cover._

"People will acknowledge you if you do well and you're a strong kunoichi, Kushina-onee-chan," Tsunade told the young girl, holding out her arms, "You'll make friends too, if you're nice to the other kids and help them out."

Kushina immediately barreled into Tsunade's open embrace, clinging at her.

"Really?" Kushina asked in a small voice, muffled against Tsunade's yukata.

"Really," Tsunade said, ruffling her red locks.

She pulled away and noticed that there was a tiny tear, sliding down Kushina's cheek.

"Don't worry Kushina-chan, just give it time," Tsunade said softly, wiping away the tear, "Besides, you always have me and Nawaki!"

Kushina beamed at her, and the sudden switch to this sunny disposition was surprising to Tsunade, but pleasant. Kushina could be quite a handful. Tsunade secretly pitied this poor Minato kid who had obviously incurred her wrath for whatever reason.

"Do I – do I look like a tomato, onee-chan?" Kushina asked after a moment, her lip trembling.

"No, you don't," Tsunade assured her, "Uchiha kids are stupid. Don't listen to them."

"Okay!" Kushina said brightly, smiling at the insult.

"Yeah," Tsunade said, standing up, taking Kushina's hand, as well as Nawaki.

The three began walking home.

"So," Tsunade asked, unable to resist, "Who is this Minato kid anyways?"

"Minato Namikaze is a dumb girly baka!" Kushina said immediately, though Nawaki was singing another tune altogether.

"He's a genius, onee-chan! He's the brightest and fastest and strongest in our class! He's always finishing all the exercises first and he's really good!"

"No he's not! I'm better than him! That's why I'm going to beat him and get Hokage!"

/\/\/\/\/\

"C-RANK! WHY? YOU KNOW WE'RE ABOVE THAT NOW SENSEI!"

Hiruzen sighed, placing his chin on his fist, and patiently waited for the raging to die down. This had become almost a routine occurrence whenever his team was given a mission that ranked anything lower than B; and considering the fact that it was peacetime, that meant that this was pretty often. This should have been a good thing, because B-ranks could be highly dangerous. But Team Seven would whine nonetheless, and their sensei, the Hokage, figured that the best way to get them to shut up would be to wait till they were done venting.

"I hate escort missions," Tsunade grumbled, "What's the point of learning medial ninjutsu if I can never practice it for real!"

"Is there nothing of a higher rank available, sensei?" Orochimaru asked, the most well-behaved of the trio.

"Please, we should get B-rank at least, or A-rank. Everyone knows we're practically Jounin level anyways," Jiraiya said, crossing his arms and making a face.

"Really? What gave you that idea?" Hiruzen asked, leaning forwards.

"Ah, come on sensei, you know it's true," Jiraiya grinned, "We know Jounin level jutsu anyways! We can all do Summonings, for one thing, and-"

"I've never seen you three collectively fight with your summons," Hiruzen pointed out, "Without them trying to kill each other. That's not a very effective strategy, Jiraiya-kun."

"I can control Gama just fine! That's _their _fault that they can't control their summons!" Jiraiya pointed at his other two teammates.

"Hey!" Tsunade yelled, crackling her fist, "Gama and Manda argue more than Katsuyu ever does!"

"Your stupid frog tried sticking a sword into my summon last mission, so it was _your _fault," Orochimaru sniped.

"Besides, Jiraiya, despite being exceedingly talented, I don't think you three are quite ready for Jounin yet," Hiruzen cut in – his students could go on for hours if he didn't intervene in their arguments, and he really didn't have that much time today.

"So basically what you're saying is that Tsunade-chan and I are getting held back because Oro-teme is incompetent," Jiraiya said, nodding.

"He never said that!" Orochimaru hissed, "You baka!"

"I'm a sage! That's even cooler than Jounin!"

"Yeah right, Jiraiya!" Tsunade rolled her eyes, "Moron."

"Tsunade-chan, I actually am and I didn't say anything to you," Jiraiya whined, "I told you, it's because of this bastard here. Me and you could easily get the promotion, I bet, if he-"

"Actually Jiraiya," Hiruzen felt compelled to interrupt, seeing that Orochimaru looked rather murderous at the moment, "Orochimaru-kun is the closest to getting promoted from the three of you."

"WHAT?" Jiraiya screeched.

"Hn," Orochimaru smirked.

"And even if you were skilled enough you certainly lack the disposition and manners expected of one at Jounin level," Hiruzen concluded, "Keep training and do your missions properly, and you'll get it eventually, all of you. You're talented, but don't get ahead of yourselves."

"Whatever," Jiraiya grumped.

"Here's your scroll," Hiruzen said, tossing it to Orochimaru, "I don't have much time right now, but once you're back from the mission, I'll treat you three to dinner."

"YEAH!" Jiraiya pumped his fists, "Okay losers, let's get this lousy C-rank done with!"

"Good luck," Hiruzen said, wondering if it was a good idea sending his team off unsupervised.

They had the ranking and the talent to pull it off, he knew; besides, they managed to repel most Jounin anyways, with their constant arguing which could get annoying. A couple of Jounin had also expressed concern over the "apparently homicidal tendencies" which his team seemed to harbor towards each other. They'd also mentioned Orochimaru being rather "creepy".

Hiruzen just shrugged it off. He knew their bickering was harmless and their promises of murder were merely jokes that reflected how close they really were. And Orochimaru was his little genius student, so of course the teen was bound to be 'different'.

/\/\/\/\/\

The next day morning, at dawn, Tsunade arrived at the gate. Her teammates both jumped down when they saw her, from where they had been awaiting, atop the large Konoha gates.

"Morning, Tsunade-chan!" Jiraiya greeted.

"Morning Jiraiya," Tsunade said, nodding at him and then peeking at Orochimaru, "Morning, Oro-kun."

"Good morning, princess," Orochimaru said pleasantly enough, and Tsunade didn't know why she was feeling so uncharacteristically shy all of a sudden.

They were all teenagers now, and though they looked different, they were still the same people.

It sort of peeved Tsunade that both her teammates had experienced growth spurts last year, and now stood a couple inches taller than her.

She hadn't quite gotten hers yet – she supposed she was a late bloomer. She hoped so, at least. She was still in the 'flat' stage as Jiraiya called it when he used to tease her, though he hadn't done that for quite a while. He probably was just scared that she'd punch him all the way to Suna if he dared.

Still, she knew from her knowledge of medicine that it would happen eventually. Tsunade didn't particularly care for her appearance at that stage, being more concerned about training and missions, but she didn't want to be considered 'flat' for the rest of her life. She also knew that Jiraiya and Orochimaru certainly hadn't matured entirely. For one thing, Jiraiya's voice hadn't cracked and was still the annoying whine that grated her ears; she hoped that it would soon. Orochimaru on the other hand always had a silky, low voice so she didn't think it would make much of a difference on him.

"Let's leave," that silky voice was saying, knocking Tsunade out of her thoughts.

"We're early, can we stop and eat first?" Jiraiya asked.

"Later," Orochimaru said, "I want to get some distance covered first."

"Aw man," Jiraiya groaned, "I didn't have time to eat breakfast…"

"That's your fault for taking so much time in the morning."

"Hey! I was here before _you! _I bet _you _took ages doing your hair, you girly freak!"

The trio took off, and Orochimaru and Jiraiya eventually stopped their bickering for the sake of stealth.

Tsunade glanced over at her teammate again.

Despite Jiraiya's perpetual insinuations of the same, Orochimaru was anything but girly.

Though his ebony hair was long and silky, the sharp angles of his face, his high cheekbones and the square of his jawline were very obviously masculine – as well as his figure. Though he was usually clad in loose-fitting clothes like Jiraiya, Tsunade had seen the muscles that corded his arms when the sleeve of his yukata had fallen back.

He was already like this, and they were still in their early teens. Tsunade wondered a bit dreamily what would happen in a few years. She now could, to an extent, understand why all the silly girls in the academy were so smitten with him. Though they didn't actually know him – as a person – like she did – he was someone who could be considered attractive, though in a very different, atypical way.

The fair complexion, dark hair and dark green eyes certainly didn't hurt.

Tsunade then realized what she'd been thinking of – her teammate – Orochimaru, her teammate – and practically stumbled over the next branch.

A cool hand grasped her shoulder, steadying her, and Tsunade nearly tripped again at the touch.

"Careful, princess," Orochimaru said, "We don't want our medic injured."

"Yeah," Tsunade muttered, shrugging him off and leaping ahead, so he wouldn't see the slight blush that she knew was covering her cheeks.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

/\/\/\/\/\

Their mission had seemed simple enough. They were to go to the Land of Lightning, and deliver a scroll to the Village Hidden in the Clouds, Kumogakure.

Yet, five miles from the village, Orochimaru stopped them, looking concerned.

"What's up, Oro-teme?" Jiraiya asked, as he and Tsunade landed on the thick branch on either side of their teammate.

"That chakra – can't you sense it?" Orochimaru asked, narrowing his eyes. He seemed tense, and his jaw was rigid.

"What are you talking about?" Jiraiya asked.

Tsunade immediately closed her eyes and focused on the environment – because if it was something that Orochimaru had gotten anxious enough to stop for – it potentially could be dangerous.

She immediately recoiled, gasping.

"Wh-what is that?"

The chakra was enormous – and darker and deadlier than anything she'd ever felt in her life; and that was saying a lot, since she'd bumped into Madara Uchiha quite a few times during her younger days.

It was huger than anything she had felt in her life, and she could practically feel the roiling waves of hatred and the killer intent emanating from it. It sent a chill down her spine, and made her want to turn around and _run, _there and then.

"We should leave. Now," Orochimaru said, "Take an alternate route."

"Are you crazy?" Jiraiya stared at him, "We're not turning back! We're shinobi!"

"Can you not _sense _that chakra?" Orochimaru hissed, "That's far too high level, even for us! I've never felt anything like it…"

"You're just being a coward," Jiraiya said, "I'm Jiraiya the Gallant, and I'm not afraid of anyth-ow!"

"Shut up!" Tsunade snapped, withdrawing her fist, "He's right, you idiot. Do you – do you want to get us killed? That chakra – it's stronger – and feels more evil than even – M-Madara. We shouldn't be here."

"If we leave, it'll only come after us and we'll jeopardize the mission," Jiraiya argued, "And not that I'm arguing – but what's with all these C-ranks turning B and A rank anyways?"

"That chakra feels – it feels menacing," Orochimaru said quietly, "We have to move. Now. We can't afford to bump into that. We don't know if it's after us, and if it's just a coincidence, it's best we avoid it. We'll take a detour."

"But-" Jiraiya began, but Orochimaru had already taken off, and was doubling back, with the scroll.

Tsunade just grabbed Jiraiya's hand, momentarily dragging the boy after her as she leapt up, pumping chakra to her legs. Grumbling, Jiraiya followed.

/\/\/\/\/\

"It-it's catching up," Tsunade panted, as Team Seven fled through the forest, "I don't know if it's chasing us – but it's moving fast, really fast…"

"Too fast to be human," Orochimaru murmured.

"Hell yeah, we can take it, whatever it is," Jiraiya said, though he looked less confident.

He had sensed the deadly chakra as well, and he knew, that despite their formidable talent, this was something otherworldly, something out of their league.

"I think maybe – I think we need backup," Tsunade said, rolling up her sleeves, and making hand seals.

Orochimaru and Jiraiya both caught her movements and nodded, their hands flying through the same seals.

The three of them leapt from the tree branch at once, slamming their palms on the ground simultaneously.

"KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!"

With an enormous puff of smoke, their summons appeared one by one; a large toad, about twice the size of a human… a snake about as thick as a tree trunk and a large, dripping slug that was easily the size of a horse.

Team Seven had quickly learnt that their initially small friends grew rather quickly over the course of a couple years.

"Manda," the toad grunted, webbed fingers flying to its dagger, "You slimy little traitor. I told you I'd kill you the next time I met you."

"Gama, you maggot, I'll crussssh you," the snake hissed, rearing back, "I jussst can't wait to sssink my fangsss into your flessssh… and Katsssu…. you're next, little princesss…. I haven't forgotten what happened last month…"

"Don't even try it!" the slug shot back, trembling, "Unless you want your precious snakeskin to shrivel away in my acid!"

"Oy! Cut it out, you three!" Jiraiya demanded, "Gama-boy, you're going to listen to _me_!"

"Maybe summoning the three of them at once wasn't a good idea," Tsunade murmured.

"We just have to control them," Orochimaru said, his mouth a thin line, "Manda! I am your master, and we are in danger. Leave him, and obey me!"

"Why do you ssssummon me, when you know I cannot bear the presssence of thessse vile creaturessss…" the snake hissed.

"Katsu-chan, please," Tsunade begged, "We're in danger. We need your help. All of you."

"What is it, Tsunade-sama?" the slug asked, before emitting a cry, "That chakra!"

"What is it?" Tsunade asked, "We felt it too. It's more powerful than anything we've ever felt before!"

"That chakra – Tsunade-sama – it – it belongs to –" Katsuyu broke off, her entire form shaking in fear.

"That's the chakra of… the Kyuubi…" Gamabunta croaked.

"WHAT?" Tsunade and Jiraiya both shouted together, eyes widening.

"It – it can't be…" Tsunade gasped, memories flooding to her.

Memories of the war, and whispers of the tailed beasts… and their mission escorting the seven-tails Jinchuuriki a couple years ago…

"Hiruzen-sensei said all of them were sealed," Jiraiya said, panicking, "How is that even possible? You must be mistaken!"

"They're right…" Manda hissed, "It issss… I haven't felt that menace in yearssss… it's unmissstakeable…"

"It must be the Jinchuuriki," Orochimaru surmised, "That's the only explanation."

"We've been around a Jinchuuriki before, we never felt this with Fu," Jiraiya said, "It can't be that."

"Well then it's probably worse," Orochimaru stated, "Either ways, we're outclassed. If that's really tailed beast chakra… that too, nine tails…"

"It's coming closer!" Tsunade cried, "We have to do something!"

"Gama," Jiraiya said suddenly, "Get someone to contact Enma and tell him to inform sensei. We need back-up and we need it _fast. _Tell them they better send over some Jounin or ANBU or something. Get them using reverse summoning, I don't care, but we can't handle this alone."

"Alright, I'll be back," the toad said, before disappearing.

"Smart," Orochimaru nodded at Jiraiya.

"What about the scroll?" Tsunade asked frantically, "We need to hide it."

"Damn, I should've given it to Gama," Jiraiya said, hitting his forehead.

"It's fine. Manda can swallow it," Orochimaru said, whipping it out.

He made a hand-seal, covering the scroll with blue chakra.

"What's that for?" Jiraiya asked.

"To protect it from the venom," Orochimaru replied, before tossing it to his snake, which opened its maw wide, and swallowed.

"Keep it safe," Orochimaru ordered.

"Yesss, if we survive thissss…." Manda responded, glaring.

"Don't you dare even think of leaving," Orochimaru warned him.

The purple snake twitched its tail, but stayed.

"This scroll better have some seriously important shit," Jiraiya muttered, as the malicious chakra grew closer.

"We should hide," Tsunade began, but Katsuyu shook her head.

"Tsunade-sama – if – if the enemy has Kyuubi chakra – they – will be able to smell you out. There's no point. You can't run, or hide, or even ambush them."

"Great," Jiraiya muttered, "Absolutely brilliant."

"What, we just wait here?" Tsunade cried, "That's like letting them find us!"

"Better conssserve your chakra for fighting then wassste it trying to essscape when you cannot," Manda said.

"But – but –" Tsunade flailed, when Jiraiya placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Tsunade-chan," he said, winking at her and grinning, "I've got you covered. I'd die before I let them touch you."

"Jiraiya! I-" Tsunade broke off, staggered.

She knew he had a crush on her but she hadn't expected him to say something like this. He was smiling, but his eyes were hard and serious. She could tell he meant it, and felt somewhat overwhelmed.

She didn't know what to reply. Punching him was out of question, for a variety of rather obvious reasons.

Orochimaru said nothing, but there was a scraping sound as he drew his kodachi and readied it.

A second later, there was a loud crash, as not one, but two figures hurtled out of the trees in front of them.

The two shinobi – for though their chakra was beastly and animalistic and utterly inhuman, they had the forms of two shinobi – came to a stop, landing on the ground with a thud that made the earth tremble.

They were both large, burly men, clad in the usual attire of the Cloud shinobi. One of them had long golden locks, and the other had silver hair. The ends of their hair were tipped with dark red. Their eyes were blazing, they had large horns protruding from their heads and whisker marks on their faces.

They weren't entirely human, more like half-human and half-beast. There was something feral about their smiles, and the way their sharp canines glimmered, and their eyes swirled with malice, an age-old evil that sent waves of fear through Tsunade's body.

"Ah, look Ginkaku," the golden-haired one spoke up, his voice a raspy growl, "Kiddies from Konoha. This should be fun…"

"W-what do you want?" Jiraiya asked boldly, though Tsunade could detect a tremble in his voice, "We're not giving you the scroll."

"Idiot!" Tsunade heard Orochimaru hiss, "You're not supposed to bring it up!"

"Scroll?" the silver-haired man snickered, "You think we care about your petty scroll? I suppose you're on a delivery mission, eh? Too bad. What are you? From your chakra levels you can't be more than Chuunin…"

"If you don't want our scroll, what do you want with us?" Jiraiya asked, eyeing their attire and forehead protectors, "You're form the Cloud. We're on our way to your village. We're your allies. We don't wish you any harm."

"Please!" the silver-haired man, Ginkaku, snorted, "Kinkaku did you hear him? The arrogant runt! As if _they _could harm _us!"_

"Besides, we don't care about Cloud," Kinkaku continued, "Though now that you mentioned it… if your scroll is to be delivered there… we may as well destroy it… no harm causing a bit more trouble for our dearest Raikage-sama, eh?"

"Wh-what?" Jiraiya asked, "Why would you – why would you say that?"

"What're you doing?" Tsunade whispered, "Stop making small-talk with them! We should attack, and _fast_!"

Jiraiya just shook his head stiffly, before nodding at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru leant forwards, his breath brushing against Tsunade's ear, making her shiver in spite of everything.

"He's delaying them," Orochimaru said softly, "Until Gama comes back. Play along."

"Ah," Tsunade nodded, marveling at Jiraiya's shrewdness in the most pressing of situations; she would have expected Orochimaru to come up with something like that.

"We're not members of Cloud, not anymore," Kinkaku spat, "Ever since our dear Raikage tried imprisoning us! But we taught _them, _didn't we?"

"Why would he do that?" Jiraiya asked.

"Well… we did sort of break the peace treaty between Konoha and Kumo, didn't we?" Ginkaku said, leering.

"Ah, yes," Kinkaku nodded, "The time we nearly succeeded in finishing off the second Hokage…"

Tsunade could help the gasp that escaped her lips at this, despite Orochimar's warning look a millisecond before.

The two men looked at her, their eyes narrowing.

"What?" Jiraiya yelled, shocked as well, "Why would you – why would you try doing that?"

"It was during the negotiations during the second war," Ginkaku said, before adding bitterly, "We didn't actually succeed… and dearest Raikage-sama felt that our tactics went again the beliefs of Kumo, and imprisoned us…"

"And you – you just escaped?" Jiraiya asked, shaking now, "Aren't you being pursued?"

It was obvious what they were dealing with now – not only someone potentially as dangerous as a Jinchuuriki with deadly chakra – but two S-class missing-nin who had broken out of prison.

"Oh, we dealt with our pursuers well enough, didn't we Kinkaku?" Ginkaku grinned, displaying his fangs, "Troublesome ANBU…"

"A-all of them?" Jiraiya asked.

"All eight of them, and four Jounin," Ginkaku replied proudly, "We're powerful you know… they call us the Gold and Silver brothers… it's sad you had to meet us so early on… looks like your shinobi career is about to come to a painful end!"

"What, why?" Jiraiya panicked, "We haven't done anything to you!"

"Oh, but you have," Kinkaku said, before raising a hand, to point a clawed finger at Tsunade.

Tsunade's eyes widened, a jolt of fear coursing through her heart.

"What do you want with her?" Orochimaru asked, and Jiraiya stepped forward protectively.

"Your pretty little friend has Senju blood running in her veins," Ginkaku said, "I can smell the stench from a mile away…"

"Ah, yes… that's something we can never forget," Kinkaku sneered, "We couldn't off the Second… but bathing my hands in the entrails of his little relative may quench some of my vengeful desires!"

"I'll kill you before you touch her!" Jiraiya shouted, leaping forwards, followed almost instantly by Orochimaru.

"Alright, slaughter time," Kinkaku growled, lunging forwards as well.

Ginkaku however, hurtled straight towards Tsunade.

Tsunade gave a cry, and punched the ground as hard as she could, before leaping up. She had no time to hear or even look at what her teammates were doing, but since it was the two of them, she guessed they had better odds than her anyways.

Ginkaku stumbled slightly, but leapt over the chasm she had created, baring his teeth.

"Not bad for a little girl," he growled, "But you're going to die soon, Senju!"

He opened his mouth wide and shot something at her – it was a blazing ball of chakra from the looks of it.

Tsunade, who was in the air, had no way of moving out of the way or dodging it. She could make a clone and have it throw her to the side, but there wasn't enough time. She'd barely made the sign for a shadow clone when something wrapped around her, and jerked her back to the ground.

The ball of chakra whizzed overhead, singing her hair, and hit a tree and exploded instantly, sending branches and burnt leaves everywhere.

Tsunade looked down at her savior and gasped.

Manda's purple tail was wrapped around her.

"Be careful princesssss," the snake hissed, releasing here, "Masssster told usss to protect you and he would be mosssst upssset if you died…"

"Th-thank you Manda-sama," Tsunade bit out, still shocked.

Orochimaru should have been fighting alongside his summon – and yet he'd ordered Manda to protect _her _– all in the span of the ten seconds in which they'd begun the attack.

"Tsunade-sama!" Katsuyu cried, "Above you!"

Tsunade looked up to see Ginkaku diving towards her, a large sword in his hand, silver hair rippling behind him.

Tsunade cursed, not having a large enough weapon – deflecting that sword with a kunai would just be asking for trouble – and uprooted a small sapling, wrenching it out of the ground and thrusting it up to parry the sword.

The sword cut through the tree in a few seconds but gave Tsunade enough time to roll away, and throw a few shuriken at Ginkaku who deflected them with ease.

She then punched the ground, again, opening up a large crater – she couldn't do as much widespread damage as she wanted to, lest she risk one of her teammates stumbling or falling in – and Ginkaku managed to jump over it as well.

Unsure of what to do, Tsunade made two shadow clones, and allowed the few seconds in which they kept Ginkaku occupied with their taijutsu to scan over the rest of the battle.

Orochimaru and Jiraiya were teaming up on Kinkaku – Orochimaru was firing jutsu after jutsu of every element possible – water bullets, fireballs, enormous boulders – his fingers moving through the seals at an unreadable pace. He was managing most of the seals with just one hand, something which Tsunade knew required a lot of skill; even many Jounin were incapable of such a feat. His other arm had extended and he was using his kodachi to spar with Kinkaku. Jiraiya in the meantime, what collaborating with Gama, who had poofed back, to aim heavy-hitters on the monster. There was something different about Jiraiya –Tsunade couldn't tell what exactly. It was something about his eyes; and his chakra felt different too.

"Five more minutes, Tsunade-chan!" Jiraiya yelled at her over the ruckus, as Orochimaru's flaming dragon wrapped itself around the gust of wind Gamabunta had expelled. The fire and wind was a deadly combination, and the two jutsus only intensified each other's effects. Kinkaku roared as he was hit by them, but soon swept it away with what looked like a burst of chakra. He had suffered only mild burns from what would have probably killed or badly maimed a normal shinobi.

Tsunade understood what Jiraiya's words had meant, since Gamabunta was back. It would take another five minutes for backup to arrive. They had to hold off these two beasts for five more minutes.

Tsunade gulped – it seemed impossible. As far as she could tell, the two monsters were still only playing with them.

Still, she didn't have a second more to waste, as both her shadow clones dispelled with a flick from Ginkaku's chakra. Sick of taijutsu, the creature had simply swiped at the clones with what looked like tails of bubbling red chakra.

He roared, and leapt at Tsunade again.

Tsunade rapidly ran through her arsenal of jutsu in her head; taijutsu was out of question and she was primarily a close-combat fighter.

Medical ninjutsu was her specialty, but useless in such situations. A sudden idea hit her- what if she altered her medical ninjutsu into something that could be used for offensive purposes?

She quickly formulated a plan – it was risky and would require her to get close to the demonic beast, but it would buy her time.

"Katsu, Manda, cover for me!" Tsunade cried, leaping away, and both the slug and the snake surged forwards, Manda wrapping around Ginkaku while Katsuyu began firing balls of flaming acid.

Ginkaku gave an inhuman shriek, and Tsunade quickly formed the seals she had in mind, carefully bringing the chakra to her fingertips. This would be a tricky jutsu, but she was pretty sure she could pull it off if she managed a hit.

"Keep him there!" Tsunade shouted, as she lunged forward.

Ginkaku was still struggling in Manda's grasp.

Tsunade jabbed her fingers into the back of Ginkaku's neck, before recoiling, and jumping away. His chakra had shot out of his skin, and burnt her fingertips.

She wouldn't be able to gather chakra to her left hand anymore, not until she healed herself, and there was no time for that now.

Literally a second later, Ginkaku roared, and more chakra burst out from his form, spilling onto Manda. The snake hissed and writhed in agony, before poofing away.

Tsunade watched, horrorstruck – but she couldn't blame him; that chakra probably burnt his entire form, which had been wrapped around Ginkaku – the snake would probably take a few weeks to recover from the damage.

Ginkaku seemed enraged, and lunged forward, slashing his sword at Katsuyu.

"Katsu!" Tsunade screamed, as the metal hit, slicing the slug in half.

Tsunade then realized why Katsuyu had absorbed the impact – she'd already split herself before Ginkaku hit her, and a second later, she had exploded into dozens of small slugs, which quickly reformed a few feet away.

Ginkaku rushed forward again, but then stumbled, and fell flat on the ground.

Tsunade smirked to herself; looks like her jutsu had worked.

"What is this?" the large shinobi growled, as he struggled to get up.

He was only rewarded with his limbs thrashing uselessly.

"I injected chakra into your nervous system," Tsunade informed him, unable to keep the smugness out of her voice; heck, she had a reason to be smug, she'd temporarily incapacitated an S-class missing-nin!

"You won't be able to get rid of it by using Kyuubi chakra alone, because it's not in your actual blood or your chakra system. It's messed with your nerve impulses though, and that's why your body is incapable of moving properly. The pathways between your brain and your limbs have been temporarily disconnected – you're not going to be able to do anything."

"Nice one, Tsunade-sama!" Katsuyu cried.

Tsunade took the brief respite to look over at her teammates; they were fighting furiously. Jiraiya seemed to be bleeding, and both of them were sporting burns, but their injuries seemed far from life threatening.

Ginkaku continued to thrash on the ground, cursing at her. He seemed enraged.

And then suddenly, he seemed to explode, the red chakra pouring out of his form.

Tsunade leapt up, to avoid the chakra explosion, but Katsuyu wasn't so lucky.

"Katsu!" Tsunade cried, as the slug keeled in agony, "Katsu go back, heal yourself!"

"Are you – are you sure?" Katsuyu asked weekly.

"Yes! GO!"

There was a puff and Tsunade's loyal summon disappeared. Gama was the only one left, and Tsunade realized, horrified, that this also meant that she was fighting alone against Ginkaku.

Except – the terrible form that she in was seeing in front of her couldn't possibly be the same shinobi.

Tsunade froze, almost paralyzed with shock as she regarded the creature in front of her.

Ginkaku was entirely blanketed by boiling black chakra, except for two blazing white eyes. The chakra had taken the shape of some kind of a fox, with six large tails that whipped menacingly in the air behind him.

The fox-creature opened its mouth, and a large beam of light came blasting out, right at Tsunade.

She dodged it, leaping wildly to the left, but then less than a second later, one of the large chakra tails came stabbing at her from the opposite side, like some sort of chakra-infused spear.

It would have impaled her, for sure, if she hadn't been tackled to the ground at the last moment by a figure that had leapt at her from across the ground with a surprising speed; he'd been watching her battle the entire time out of the corner of his eye, ready to come to her aid if she needed him.

She fell flat on the ground, and he fell on her, his hard body pressed to hers almost painfully, his hair tickling her neck. He recovered swiftly though, rolling off and leaping up, just as the chakra tail stabbed into the ground and another one came flying through the air.

He deflected with his kodachi, but then dropped the weapon with a yell as the chakra burnt the blade, and his hand.

"O-Oro-kun," Tsunade gasped, struggling to her feet, "You-"

She'd been so sure it had been Jiraiya.

The dark-haired boy in front of her said nothing, but doubled over in pain, falling to his knees.

"Oro-kun! What's wrong!" Tsunade cried, running to him, stamping the ground with her heel and forcing the fox to leap backwards to avoid being swallowed by the miniature chasm that had opened up.

Orochimaru didn't say anything, and his face was obscured by dark strands of hair, but he was clutching at his side, trembling violently, biting his lip.

Tsunade then noticed the dark stain in his yukata, that was rapidly spreading, and the pool of blood that was gathering.

"N-no," she gasped, as the fox reared up, ready to shoot again.

"Doton: Doryuheki!"

A large wall of earth – larger than anything Tsunade could have punched up – exploded in front of them. It trembled as the blast hit it, but withstood it.

Tsunade realized it must have been packed with massive amounts of compressed chakra and dirt – but who could possibly have had enough power to create something like that?

She whirled around to see a familiar face glaring ahead under a triangular white hat.

"S-sensei!" Tsunade gasped.

He hadn't even changed out of his Hokage robes. When Gama had gone to get backup, she hadn't expected _him. _He was usually so caught up in his duties, and the Hokage _never _left the village for missions, unless they were war missions.

Hiruzen seemed to read her thoughts.

"You're my students. You couldn't have expected me not to come," he said, "Now take Orochimaru, Jiraiya and _leave."_

"But the scroll-"

"Is of no importance. I'm Hokage and I'm saying this mission is over. Now go back to the village _now. _That's an order."

"Y-yes sensei," Tsunade said, as Ginkaku let out an earsplitting roar.

"And make sure he gets medical attention," Hiruzen added, his stern façade breaking for a moment; Tsunade could tell he was _extremely _worried about Orochimaru's condition.

"Yes, of course," she murmured, dropping down to her knees next to Orochimaru.

"O-Oro-kun," Tsunade said, placing her arms around his shoulders to support him, "Look at me – please –"

He shook violently, coughing, and more blood splattered to the ground, and from his sides.

Tsunade gasped – the blood flow _needed _to be stopped – but she had to make sure he didn't black out, because if he fainted now…. She didn't want to consider the possibility of what could happen…

She grabbed his face, hastily pushing his sweat-drenched hair away.

"Orochimaru," Tsunade cried, "St-stay with me. Look at me."

He stared at her his green eyes glazed over, but he didn't seem to be looking at her. Seconds later, his eyes fluttered shut, and he fell forwards and slumped against her chest.

"No…NO!" Tsunade shrieked, "JIRAIYA!"

"Right here!" her other teammate landed next to her, right on cue, panting.

He looked at Orochimaru and froze, his face going pale.

"What happened to the bastard?"

"JIRAIYA! TSUNADE! DOWN!"

At the sound of their sensei's voice, both of them ducked down, Tsunade pushing Orochimaru down with her. She felt the front of her yukata grow wet – from blood – his blood.

Another blast of concentrated chakra flew over their heads.

"GET OUT OF HERE! GO BACK TO THE VILLAGE!" Hiruzen shouted, making hand seals.

Tsunade noticed that a couple of Jounin, and about a dozen ANBU had now joined the skirmish.

"Jiraiya," Tsunade said tearfully, "I need to heal him – but we can't move him, not like this. I'm pretty sure he's broken a few ribs and if they puncture his lungs-"

"Leave it to me," Jiraiya muttered, before making a few hand-seals, "Hold on to Orochimaru, okay?"

He grabbed Tsunade's shoulder, and she felt a sudden lurching sensation.

Seconds later, the sounds of the battle faded away, and Tsunade found herself in a large cavern with pinkish walls, dripping with slime. Jiraiya was next to her, panting from exertion, and Orochimaru's limp for was still in her arms, half on her lap.

They were on some sort of island, made from the same weird slimy pinkish substance that coated the wall. There was a greenish bubbling liquid surrounding the island that gave off a terrible stench.

"Wh-what did you do? Where are we?" Tsunade asked.

"I reverse-summoned us into the stomach of a toad. You can heal him here. We're in another dimension, so we're safe from enemies. No one can get us in here. So just get to it."

"I – oh - okay," Tsunade nodded, though a lot of his explanation befuddled her and flew over her head.

She then turned to Orochimaru, who was paler than usual from loss of blood. She placed him down, as gently as possible, wincing when a spray of blood seeped out of his side.

"How did-" Jiraiya began, but then fell quiet, letting her concentrate.

Tsunade ripped her unconscious teammate's yukata open, too frantic and frightened to even appreciate his muscled chest or toned abs – her eyes were drawn to the shredded remains of his side.

Tsunade concentrated chakra to her hands and surveyed the damage – it was worse than she could have imagined. The tail of demon chakra had entirely burnt the flesh, and broken a few of his ribs. Fortunately, since they hadn't moved him much, his lungs were still in tact. Still, the wound was a gaping one, and he had lost far too much blood already. To heal him completely, she'd need to stop the blood flow, repair all the torn blood vessels, patch up the bones and reknit the flesh together.

Though she supposed theoretically, it could be done – there was no way that she, alone could do it. A large part of his side had been destroyed and the number of new cells that would have to be grown would require mass amounts of chakra. Tsunade had already depleted over half of her chakra fighting, but she knew that even with all of it, there was no way she could have healed him.

_But I have to – I have to do something… I can't let him… he can't… that blow was meant for me… he jumped in to save me…_

"J-Jiraiya," Tsunade asked tremulously, not noticing the tears that were flowing down her cheeks.

"Yeah?" her teammate looked at her in concern.

"I'll heal him the best I can but – he needs – my grandmother. Can this toad – can it-"

"It'll be done," Jiraiya nodded, "I'll be back."

He disappeared with a puff and Tsunade concentrated on Orochimaru again.

She figured she could reconnect the major blood vessels, though she would just be able to plug the minor ones with chakra. She focused on that task for the next few minutes – or was it hours – she couldn't even tell.

At some point in time Jiraiya had come back.

"It's done," he said, gasping for breath, "The toads on its way to Konoha as we speak… we'll be there soon… keep it up…"

Tsunade glanced at him, and noticed what was different.

His eyes.

Instead of the usual dark onyx eyes, Jiraiya's eyes were weirdly stretched and white, with tiny iris-less pupils. The red marks under his eyes had also elongated. There was also something weird about his nose – it was no longer straight and pointed, but rather bulbous.

"It's my sage mode…" Jiraiya said weakly, and Tsunade was shocked.

He'd become a _sage_? That required crazy amounts of training… and skill… how war had Jiraiya been progressing with the toads, all those times he'd been reverse-summoned? Whenever he'd mentioned it, she and Orochimaru had assumed that he'd been joking. They hadn't actually believed it, and yet all this while…

"Yep, I'm really a sage," Jiraiya chuckled softly, as if reading her thoughs, "Shocked? You better fix up… teme… so I can gloat… when he wakes up…"

Tsunade returned to her healing; the blood flow and loss problem had been fixed… and there was no way she had enough chakra to mend regrow his bones – she was already feeling lightheaded and could see black spots in her vision.

_What if I don't mend them – but just hold them together by chakra? That way they won't move and risk damaging him further – and since I can't grow bone tissue it can be a temporary bind…_

She nodded to herself, concentrating more chakra to her fingers to fix his bones.

Suddenly, something slumped against her side. Tsunade turned her head to see Jiraiya – he'd fainted. The red marks on his face were back to normal, as was his nose, and she was pretty sure that if she could see his eyes now, they would be dark again.

She gave his injuries a quick look-over and sighed with relief. It was just chakra exhaustion, not even depletion. He'd recover.

She wanted to heal him, but Orochimaru was still in a precarious situation and she hadn't even finished healing _him _yet.

She also noticed a small yellow toad squatting next to Jiraiya, surveying her.

"Jiraiya-boy summoned me before passing out," the toad said, "Guess he needs me to do the reverse summon… otherwise you guys would have been stuck in here till he recovered and that would take a long time…"

"Thanks," Tsunade said, sighing again.

Jiraiya really was far more intelligent than she and Orochimaru gave him credit for; that he'd thought of doing that even when utterly spent was creditable.

There was no way Orochimaru would survive if she didn't get him to her grandmother as soon as possible. He would need multiple medics and a whole lot of chakra – and fast.

Jiraiya must have realized that…

Tsunade went back to healing Orochimaru, chakra flowing from her fingertips. She felt breathless, and her head was spinning but she continued, pumping in chakra. Every extra drop of chakra would buy Orochimaru more time, increase his chances of survival by a tiny percent.

"How – much – longer," she panted, replenishing the chakra plugs at his blood vessels.

"A few minutes, nearly there," the toad croaked.

Tsunade felt herself nearly blackout from chakra depletion once – then twice.

She knew she was pushing herself. She had gone way above her limit. What she was doing was dangerous, excessively so. She was a medic – she knew what happened to the body after it lost certain amounts of chakra.

Blackouts. Coma. Even death.

The most lethal part was that a shinobi, through enough willpower, could actively skip the first stage, overcome the blackouts; but then when they finally gave in, when their body finally gave out – the situation could become worse, much worse.

Tsunade knew this, but she pushed herself.

Orochimaru had risked his life for her. And she could – she wouldn't lose him. Not him.

It seemed like hours later when Tsunade felt the same lurching feeling – she grabbed onto both her teammates, and then suddenly everything was bright.

They weren't in the cavernous stomach of a toad anymore. They were in a familiar room with wooden floors and light streaming through it.

_This is… this is… but how? _

Tsunade saw another toad – and marveled at Jiraiya's foresight – this would save more time, buy Orochimaru a few more precious moments, which he needed…

"Tsunade-chan!"

It was a voice, her grandmother's voice, and Mito's face swam into view.

Her expression was one of terrible concern, but Tsunade felt relief wash over her.

Mito was here… her grandmother… from the corner of her eyes she saw a group of white-clad medics, and Biwako… all the best medical ninja in the village…

Orochimaru would be safe now… he had to be…

She finally allowed her eyes to flutter shut, and collapsed next to her teammates.

/\/\/\/\/\

To say Mito Senju was shocked was an understatement.

She'd received a toad summon – sent by Jiraiya, she supposed – saying that Orochimaru was badly injured and needed medical attention immediately. She'd known that Hiruzen had left the village about thirty minutes ago, and it didn't take long for her to put two and two together.

It was obvious. Team Seven's C-Rank had gone horribly wrong, to an extent that the Hokage himself had to rush out to aid his precious students, accompanied by the best Jounin who were available and a dozen ANBU.

The toad didn't know the details – apparently Jiraiya had been in a hurry and didn't have time – but when she saw the state of the three ninja, she had been shocked.

Jiraiya was slumped against Tsunade, who seemed on the verge of collapse. Indeed she did collapse, just a few seconds after the reverse summoning. Orochimaru's head was in her lap, and her hand was at his side, glowing with the last reserves of chakra; she'd really put every effort into healing him till the end.

Mito was worried about Tsunade and Jiraiya. Tsunade was covered in burns, and the tips of her fingers on one hand had been entirely blackened. Jiraiya was bleeding in multiple places and was burnt as well. That, however, could still be fixed. What was more frightening were their respective chakra levels, which were dangerously low. Whatever the mission had entailed, whoever this nameless enemy was, it had driven both of them till the brink of death. They would need chakra forcibly pumped into their systems to revive the circulation and the functioning of their organs – this in itself was a delicate procedure. Then, once their own chakra started replenishing, the foreign chakra would have to be extracted, until they built up their chakra reserves naturally.

Needless to say, those two wouldn't be taking missions for another two weeks.

And Orochimaru – Orochimaru was the worst. Mito didn't know what could have possibly destroyed him to such a thorough extent. The only thing she knew could cause such damage was a tailed beast… she shuddered at the thought.

Tsunade's chakra clamps and desperate healing measures had probably saved his life... though even they were starting to give away.

Mito sighed, before giving her orders and concentrating on Orochimaru.

If things had been delayed even by a few more minutes… they could have resulted in the death of the most talented team in Konoha.

/\/\/\/\/\

When Tsunade woke up, she felt like she'd been to hell and back. Every muscle and nerve in her body screamed out in protest and she couldn't move.

Her eyes fluttered open, only to meet the frantic ones of her grandmother.

"Tsunade-chan!"

"Tsunade!"

"Princess!"

"Wh-what happened?" Tsunade croaked groggily.

"Don't move. Just stay still," her grandmother said urgently.

She could hear her parents as well, though she couldn't see them.

"Oro-Orochimaru," she said weakly, "Jiraiya… are they – are they-"

"They're going to be fine, Tsunade-chan," Mito said gently, "A few weeks from now it'll be like none of this ever happened. And your sensei is back too. Relax, and don't move, and let me tell you what happened."

Tsunade did relax, feeling as if an enormous darkness had been lifted from her heart.

They'd be okay… her teammates… they were going to make it.

Thank Kami…

Tsunade then realized that she had multiple tubes attached to her – tubes filled with blazing blue chakra. Her eyes widened slightly.

"Yes, Tsunade," her grandmother said, a hint of admonishment in her voice, "Chakra replenishment. It has to be done internally because by the time a pill started working, you would've been out. You're a medic. You know your limits better than anyone. You of all people should know what happens after you cross them."

"B-but Orochimaru…" Tsunade argued weakly, but her grandmother placed a hand on her head, patting it soothingly.

"I know, princess. I understand. In your place I would have done the same for a loved one. But as your grandmother and medical instructor, I have to tell you nonetheless, don't I?"

Tsunade then realized that her mother was sobbing.

"K-kaa-san," Tsunade muttered, "Don't – I'm fine… just make sure Nawaki never finds out…"

"Too late for that," Mito said, "Kushina was here when the toad came and I've always said that child is too smart for her own good. She seemed to get that it was serious because she left without a fuss when I told her too – but you know she can't keep her mouth shut."

_Well, at least I'll have interesting visitors, _Tsunade thought to herself, smiling.

There was no way any nurse or even ANBU would keep the persistent Kushina from visiting her room. And if Nawaki was with her – well they'd have twice as hard of a time…

"Anyways, you suffered from chakra exhaustion – or rather depletion, really. Your chakra had reached a dangerous level, it was nearly non-existent by the time you came. Jiraiya was probably as bad, if not worse, but that kid's a fighter."

"He used – he used sage mode," Tsunade said weakly.

"I gathered that much," Mito said, pursing her lips, "And he's not going to be using it again soon, not if I have a word with Hiruzen. He hadn't completed the training. He wasn't strong enough yet – that mode uses nature energy and it can destroy you if you're not ready. Still, considering who your enemies were… if he hadn't used it, I doubt you three would have survived the encounter…"

"He reverse-summoned – and I think him and Orochimaru even beat –"

"I know what happened and I know the massive amounts of chakra required for those techniques. Your sensei filled me in. But nonetheless… such high level techniques… at this age… its truly nothing but a miracle that the three of you survived this encounter without permanent damage to your bodies."

"Oh," was all Tsunade could say.

She was feeling drowsy again… too drowsy to feel adequate shock or relief.

"And Orochi-"

"Orochimaru-kun is fine. He's recovering. He'll take a week longer than you and Jiraiya, I'd guess, but he'll be fine. You saved his life, Tsunade, when you healed him. You should know that. I'm proud of you and I'm sure he'll be eternally grateful once he wakes up."

"He – saved me – first…" Tsunade mumbled.

"I'm sure he did. Modifying the chakra clamps to keep his bones in place was a smart idea, and I've already implemented it in the training regime for the new medics. The current ones have adapted it as well, Tsunade, so you should be proud. You also picked the perfect blood vessels to heal with your limited chakra. You did well."

The praise floated over Tsunade's head and she didn't have enough energy to feel proud.

"Are they – awake?"

"Orochimaru isn't awake yet, but his surgery is over, so he's out of danger. He just needs to rest. Jiraiya woke a couple hours ago, and he'd been asking about the two of you. He's gone back to sleep though, now, and you should too… you'll have plenty of time to see them and talk with them once you heal… you three are going to be off missions for at least a month with Hiruzen as Hokage… or at least restricted to D-ranks."

"That'll really… piss Jiraiya off…" Tsunade muttered, smiling slightly.

Her eyes fluttered shut, and the last thing she saw was a pair of darkened green eyes staring straight into her soul.

/\/\/\/\/\

When Tsunade was completely healed, she was allowed to see Jiraiya. They'd been in separate rooms, so though she'd had visitors (mainly Nawaki, who had been on the verge of tears, and an anguished Kushina, who, after realizing that her onee-chan was alright had demanded the gory details of the fight) she hadn't been able to see him.

None of her classmates had visited her – the mission details had been kept a secret, though Tsunade wasn't sure why. She was just told that it was confidential, and she wasn't allowed to discuss what happened with anyone but her teammates.

Teammates which she still hadn't seen or met.

Jiraiya had been discharged on the same day as she had, and they'd both headed straight for Orochimaru's room, and ended up meeting each other halfway in the corridor.

"Jiraiya!" Tsunade cried, unable to hide her joy and relief at seeing him.

"Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya grinned roguishly at her, and though Tsunade would rather die than admit it – the way he'd looked at her at that moment, with such genuine happiness on his face – it had made her heart flutter, ever so slightly.

She ran towards him, before realizing what she was doing and slowed down to a jog.

"You-you're alright?" she gasped out.

"And for a second I actually thought you were going to hug me," Jiraiya muttered.

"What?" Tsunade asked, pretending that she hadn't heard him, though she felt her cheeks heat up.

"Nothing, nothing… I'm just glad you're okay, princess."

"Y-yeah. You too. Thanks for um – the reverse summoning – and just everything – all the toad summons – it must have all taken a lot of chakra and – well – you were just amazing, Jiraiya."

Jiraiya looked away, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck.

"Um – yeah – well – it was nothing… hehe…"

His cheeks were red, and he was blushing brightly.

"So – um – I see your face is back to normal…" Tsunade said, trying to think of a conversation topic that would dispel the awkwardness.

"Uh… you noticed that?" Jiraiya made a face.

Tsunade giggled.

"Yeah…"

"I was – um – hoping you hadn't… once of the disadvantages of the sage mode is that – well – it makes you look like a toad."

Tsunade burst out laughing, and Jiraiya just smiled sheepishly, his blush intensifying.

"Well, its nice to see your normal face now," Tsunade said after a moment.

This seemed to brighten up Jiraiya.

"Yep, I supposed you missed looking at my handsomeness, didn't you?" he asked flirtatiously, winking at her.

Tsunade rolled her eyes, and whacked him on the head – without any chakra, so really it was pointless.

"Baka… I never said that…"

Jiraiya seemed to take the fact that his advances weren't resulting in her harming him physically as encouragement.

"You didn't deny it either."

"Of course not," Tsunade rolled her eyes, ignoring the fact that this banter could easily be construed as flirting.

The idea of her flirting with Jiraiya usually revolted her – but right now she was just so grateful to him for everything he'd done and so happy to have him safe and healthy besides her – that she didn't care.

Besides, what she really wanted to do at that moment was hug him – hard.

And it didn't have _anything _to do with her wondering how he'd feel when pressed up against her – she just wanted to hug him, and touch him – so that she could reassure herself that he was there, really there – and wasn't going to leave her soon.

"Oro-teme better wake up soon," Jiraiya was saying, as the duo walked towards his room, "They're not going to deploy us on good missions till we all recover, and he's going to take the longest…"

"Jiraiya," Tsunade said suddenly, grabbing his wrist, stopping him just before Orochimaru's door.

"Yeah?" he turned to look at her.

"Um… please don't take this the wrong way," Tsunade murmured, before leaning forward and wrapping her arms around him.

Jiraiya froze. He was so shocked that he didn't even hug her back at first, and it was a good thing that Tsunade couldn't see the expression on his face.

She held him to her for a few seconds, pressing her head against his hard chest (damn him for being that much taller than her!). He was warm, and it was there first form of such intimate physical contact that wasn't violent – and Tsunade found herself almost enjoying it.

Jiraiya finally did hug her back, placing his arms around her waist, and Tsunade pulled away. His hands lingered at her sides, and Tsunade couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze.

When she finally did, she hated herself, because his eyes seemed so hopeful at that moment.

"Like I said, don't read into that much," Tsunade muttered, cursing mentally as she felt her face grow red.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Jiraiya said, though she could practically _hear _the smirk in his voice, "C'mon, let's meet snake-bastard…"

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade didn't know why her heart was thumping so loudly as they opened the door to Orochimaru's room.

She was almost scared Jiraiya would hear it.

He was just her teammate. Nothing had changed.

Or had it?

When they entered the room, they found Hiruzen there as well, sitting on a chair by his student's bed.

Normally Jiraiya would have grumbled out something about 'favoritism' but not this time.

They knew that of the three of them, Orochimaru had been the closest to death.

Orochimaru himself was sitting up in his bed – he looked almost normal now. No traces of blood, his side had been healed, and he was wearing a white hospital shirt, though he had bandages. He was no longer connected to chakra or blood machines either.

His dark sheet of her framed his face as perfectly as ever, and his green eyes glanced over Jiraiya first, before locking with Tsunade.

Tsunade's heart skipped a beat at his intense gaze, and she fought the urge to blush and look away.

"Oro-teme!" Jiraiya greeted, "You finally got up, you lazy bastard?"

"Jiraiya-baka, Tsunade-hime," Orochimaru greeted softly.

"Guess what teme," Jiraiya said, plopping himself onto Orochimaru's bed, though Tsunade remained standing near the door, "I saved your ass out there. I did a reverse summoning, _and _I used sage mode!"

"I saw the sage mode," Orochimaru said, "You looked ridiculous."

"Hey! Shut up! Looks don't count, did you see my mad skills and speed and chakra and-"

"And utter exhaustion when you finished?" Hiruzen cut in, "Jiraiya the toads specifically told you _not _to use that mode till you were ready, and you _knew _you weren't. You could barely maintain the clone, forget mix and gather the energy adequately. I'm letting it go now because that nature energy probably saved your life and that of your teammates as well – but I expressly _forbid _you from using that mode again until the toads say you're ready. You could have easily gotten yourself killed, or turned to stone!"

"Turned to stone?" Orochimaru snickered, "Not that it would make much of a difference, he's about as useful as a rock most of the time-"

"Hey! What the heck, you bastard? No 'thank you Jiraiya-sama for saving my sorry fainted ass?'"

"In your dreams!"

"Boys, enough," Hiruzen tiredly, "I understand you are both happy to see each other but-"

"What! No! Sensei?"

"_I _didn't _ask _him to come."

"-but, Jiraiya. Please understand the seriousness of what I'm saying here," Hiruzen reprimanded, "No more sage mode, for at least another few years."

"I'll master it quicker than that!" Jiraiya vowed, and Hiruzen couldn't help but smile.

"When you do, then."

"Can it – can it really turn him to stone?" Tsunade asked, rather conscious as she felt Orochimaru's gaze snap back to her.

"If he is unable to control the nature energy – and it's a miracle he managed to this time, stop gloating Jiraiya, you were lucky-"

"Or just madly skilled," Jiraiya said, puffing out his chest.

"Yes, yes, you're Jiraiya the Gallant, all the ladies love you, we get it," Orochimaru supplied sarcastically.

"If I hadn't wasted most of my chakra saving you I would have killed you _right _now you ungrateful freak!"

"And the nature energy will take over his body, turning him into a toad, and then a stone," Hiruzen finished.

"He already looked a lot like a toad, there wasn't much left to do," Orochimaru said cuttingly, and Tsunade couldn't help but giggle at this.

"Bastard," Jiraiya scowled at him.

"That's because he can't balance his own chakra perfectly with the nature energy, so he was using the imperfect sage mode," Hiruzen said.

"Sensei!" Jiraiya cried, "You didn't have to say it in front of him!"

Orochimaru just smirked.

"My imperfect mode still owned you, okay! Kinkaku was practically beat when the ANBU and Jounin and everyone showed up, no thanks to you!"

"I was busy elsewhere," Orochimaru replied, his eyes meeting Tsunade's for a moment.

Tsunade looked away this time, blushing.

She knew that by elsewhere, what Orochimaru meant was saving her life

Still, she couldn't get over the fact that he'd arrived at such a precise moment; somehow it seemed to big of a coincidence… had he really been watching her the entire time while engaged in his own fight?

"Why were those guys so freakishly strong anyways? Were they Jinchuuriki or something? Our summons told us that they had Kyuubi chakra and the dude Tsunade was fighting turned into some sort of weird black fox…"

"Those two had been swallowed by the Kyuubi years ago, and they survived by eating up the flesh of its stomach until it was forced to regurgitate them. But because of what they ate, they gained some of its chakra and characteristics."

"Sick," Jiraiya said, though he sounded somewhat fascinated.

"They aren't Jinchuuriki because they only contain a minimal part of the demon chakra, not all of it, and the demon's personality is entirely different from their own… but they can exercise greater control over their personalities, which in some ways, makes them all the deadlier… you're lucky to have escaped them alive. The Raikage informed me that they wiped out over a dozen of Cloud's best ANBU."

"We are so amazing," Jiraiya said.

"You're lucky they were just toying with you initially. By the time they got serious, we had arrived. Good thinking Jiraiya, on sending for backup. That was the right move at the time."

"See, Oro-teme, I basically owned this mission."

"Whatever. It's not like we completed it anyways… Sensei and his team were the ones that beat them in the end… you did beat them, didn't you?"

'We killed them, though we lost one of our Jounin and three ANBU. But yes, we did. I wouldn't be here right now if we hadn't."

"Only three ANBU compared to stupid Cloud losing over twelve," Jiraiya said, "Well, well, well, what does that tell you…"

"Konoha is the strongest village, and you should be proud and grateful that you're a part of it," Hiruzen said, "Our previous kages worked hard to keep it that way, and as long as the Will of Fire burns on, we will continue to prosper."

"Too bad we failed the mission though," Jiraiya muttered, as an afterthought.

"I just said that," Orochimaru pointed out.

"Our first failed mission ever," Tsunade said sadly, "Kind of taints our perfect record, doesn't it?"

"I would have rather you three fail one mission then never attempt a single mission again in your lives," Hiruzen said gravely, "Besides… who said you failed it?"

"What?" Orochimaru sat up a little straighter, "We didn't deliver the scroll and we returned to Konoha on the brink of death. How is that not considered failing?"

"Actually," Hiruzen said, a smile pulling at his lips, "Your summon Manda arrived at Kumo about a week ago… the scroll was slightly burnt from the poison, but mostly in tact… so technically-"

"TECHNICALLY WE COMPLETED THE FREAKING MISSION AND STILL HAVE A PERFECT RECORD!" Jiraiya shouted, pumping his fists, "HELL YEAH!"

Even Orochimaru couldn't help but smirk at this and Tsunade was grinning.

So maybe it _was _worth it in the end.

"Wait," Tsunade said, "Sensei… if those two missing-nin were S-rank… and they attacked us… does that mean that – our mission was S-rank too?"

"OH, KAMI-SAMA, PLEASE SAY IT WAS!" Jiraiya looked utterly delighted, "Tsunade-chan, you're a genius for thinking of that!"

"Well," Hiruzen considered this, "Kinkaku and Ginkaku didn't actually attack you for the scroll-"

"They did," Orochimaru said immediately, "They mentioned that they were enemies of Cloud and that though they didn't initially care about the scroll that it gave them more reason to attack us."

"They did?" Jiraiya wondered aloud.

"Yes. When you were conversing with them and so intelligently revealed our mission purpose to them."

"Oh yeah!" Jiraiya cried, missing the veiled rebuke, "They did, sensei, they totally did!"

"I suppose… for the sake of records… it could be upgraded to S-rank… Cloud is certainly paying us quite a lot for not informing us earlier… and you three did hold them off for quite a bit…"

"OH, WE SO COMPLETED AN S-RANK, HOW BADASS ARE WE!" Jiraiya cheered, "WE SHOULD BE IN THE FREAKING BINGO BOOK FOR THIS!"

"I'd really hope that never happens to any of you," Hiruzen said sternly, "Considering it's for _missing-nin_, and I don't think any of you plan to defect or abandon the village."

"Of course not, sensei, Jiraiya's talking nonsense, as usual," Orochimaru said, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, I just remembered something," Jiraiya piped up, "Those weird guys – they said – they said they wanted to kill Tsunade-hime. That's why we even attacked them!"

"I'm not surprised," Hiruzen said, "They failed to kill her great-uncle, Tobirama-sama, during one of the negotiation meetings… I supposed it was for revenge…"

"Damn, so many nutters out to kill you, princess," Jiraiya shook his head, "Those two, that Kakuzu guy from that mission with Fu, the Uchiha…"

"The Uchiha do _not _want to kill the Senju, _please _stop making such politically incorrect comments, Jiraiya," Hiruzen scolded, "As my student, you really shouldn't. If any of them hear you, they'll think it's a reflection of my sentiments, and that clan already seems to harbor the notion that we're persecuting them..."

"Good thing you have me and bastard here to protect you, right?" Jiraiya said, winking at Tsunade, who flushed.

"I can protect myself, you know!" she cried.

"Sensei, you're going to treat us once teme's back on his feet, right?" Jiraiya changed the subject.

"Yes, yes, I haven't forgotten," Hiruzen said, standing up, "I have to go now – I have a meeting – with the Uchiha clan head, incidentally. I'll see you three tomorrow."

"See you, sensei."

"Good-bye, sensei."

"Jiraiya," Hiruzen said, pausing at the door, "You're coming with me."

"What!" Jiraiya exclaimed, "Why? What did I do?"

"Sage mode," Hiruzen replied, "The Toad Elder is in my office. He wishes to speak with you."

"Man, I'm going to get lectured, aren't I," Jiraiya sulked.

"There's a high probability of that," Hiruzen said, smiling.

"Ah… damn… anyways, see you guys around, Oro-teme, Tsunade-hime…"

He shuffled out the door behind Hiruzen.

"Jiraiya," Orochimaru called softly, "Wait."

Jiraiya turned around, looking at him.

"What?"

Orochimaru was quiet for a moment, but finally spoke.

"Thank you."

Tsunade stared at him in surprise, and the expression on Jiraiya's face was comical.

"Close your mouth idiot, or a fly will enter it," Orochimaru teased, "Though you're already a half a toad so I don't think that matters to you…"

"Oh shut up," Jiraiya said, recovering, before grinning at him, "And – it's nothing… anytime… heh…"

He nodded at Orochimaru, who nodded back, before turning around and leaving.

Which left just Tsunade _alone _in the room.

She didn't know why, but that very prospect made her feel like she had butterflies in her stomach.

It was Orochimaru who broke the silence, after Jiraiya left.

"Tsunade-hime… your grandmother told me what you did."

"Did she?" Tsunade asked, "Well – okay – um – that's nice of her…"

She walked over to Orochimaru's bed and perched herself on the side, staring at the sheets.

"She told me you risked your life and used up all your chakra to save me."

His voice was low, soothing – but Tsunade could detect a hint of something – she wasn't quite sure what – an underlying tremble.

"I – well – sort of," she muttered, still unable to meet his green-eyed gaze.

"Tsunade-hime. Look at me."

It was a command, but it was so softly spoken that it nearly didn't sound like one.

Tsunade shyly raised her eyes, meeting his.

She knew she was blushing – and she knew that he could probably tell as well – but she couldn't help it.

"That is something I will never, ever forget," Orochimaru said slowly, "Thank you."

"Well… you'd do the same for me, right?" Tsunade murmured, "You – you already did."

"Yes," Orochimaru replied coolly, "I did."

Tsunade wondered how he could be so calm – when for some reason she felt like her heart was going to beat so hard that it would burst out of her chest – even though she knew the medical improbability of that was impossibly high.

"Well thank you," Tsunade said softly, and then couldn't help but add, "Why?"

"Why what?" Orochimaru asked, fixing his gaze on her again.

"Why did you – jump in like that?"

"You would have died if I hadn't. I still had a chance of surviving," Orochimaru said simply.

He had a point, and it made logical sense, but Tsunade couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of disappointment.

_Well what did you expect him to say, idiot? _She scolded herself, _what more could you have wanted? _

Actions spoke louder than words anyways – especially with Orochimaru.

"You – your chances weren't that high," Tsunade murmured.

"It was a gamble," Orochimaru agreed, "But I was willing to bet my life on it… and unlike you, princess… I don't suck that bad at betting."

Tsunade laughed at this, before smiling at him.

"Thank you, Oro-kun. Really."

"You're important to me," he said quietly, "You and Jiraiya. You're my teammates – and I – wouldn't want to lose you."

She caught the hidden emotions behind his words, and was overwhelmed.

That was much more than she could have ever expected from him. Even if he didn't mean it in the way a part of him hoped he had.

"So you would've done it for Jiraiya too?" Tsunade asked, and then immediately felt both mortified and ashamed at herself for asking such a thing.

_Of course he would! Why would I be special, Jiraiya is his teammate too! What's he going to think of me now? _She agonized mentally.

"What are you really trying to ask me, Tsunade-hime?" Orochimaru asked, far too shrewdly.

Tsunade wondered how he could read her so well, and her mortification intensified.

"Ah, nothing, forget I asked anything," she mumbled, looking away.

"You're not the same as Jiraiya, if that's what you wanted to know," Orochimaru said quietly, after a moment.

Tsunade looked up at him. He was watching her intently, gauging her reaction. She tried to keep her face neutral, and her voice steady.

"Wh-what do you mean? What makes me different?"

Orochimaru smirked, raising a hand her cheek, brushing the tips of his fingers against her skin.

"You're special, princess," he murmured, before retracting his hand.

His eyes never left hers.

Her face felt like it had been burnt where he'd touched her, and her heart was now thumping rapidly, She felt breathless, and she knew her face was probably as red as Kushina's hair.

She exited the room quickly thereafter with a hasty excuses, and practically fled the hospital.

She could still remember the look in his eyes, the unexpected softness of his fingertips against her cheek…

That one small touch was nothing compared to her hug with Jiraiya – it was briefer, less physical – but somehow, it had left her wanting more, and feeling far more exhilarated than the hug had.

Tsunade knew she couldn't deny it anymore. She was a medic and she could diagnose her body's reactions, and the symptoms were undeniable.

She'd developed a crush on her teammate.

And it wasn't exactly miniscule either.

/\/\/\/\/\

_Author's Notes – Done! Hope you enjoyed! Yep, she admits it! And to those of you who are wondering whether she'll end up with Orochimaru or Jiraiya or both – well look at the description, lol. There's JirTsu and OroTsu, because I just think the Sannin would have been one convoluted love triangle._

_And what of poor Dan? Well, since I want to stay loyal to canon, I will give him some nice stuff too… eventually… the focus is on the Sannin though._

_I know they all seem all buddy-buddy and tight here… well this fluffiness will last a couple more chapters. Then things are going to get screwed up. And by screwed up I mean disturbingly and royally screwed up. _

_Kinkaku and Ginkaku are the manga characters I mentioned in my previous A/N. Since he edo-tenseid them. Honestly, I hated that chapter because I wasn't interested in any of those guys except InoShikaCho. But, they're interesting villains to use. _

Also! I was re-watching the old episodes and I noticed this one line in the Japanese dub. Two lines actually.

Orochimaru says them. He says: _I'm the one person in the world who knows Tsunade best – _or something alone those lines. He also says to Tsunade – _you're the only person that I wouldn't want to kill. _

I mean, come on. We know JirTsu is practically canon, but those words are so suggestive! I mean, there's SO much one can do with them :D especially since we know what a pervert Orochimaru really is.

_Anyways, review please, my lovelies! It would be much appreciated and really motivate me to get the next few chapters up asap! These chapters are long, and take forever, and require some research too, so are rather time-consuming. Reviews do help! :D_

_xx_

_HighQueen_


	9. These Things Called Hormones

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

_Author's Notes: Next chapter up. I'm sorry it's sort of long. I know some of you asked for shorter chapters, but I have this timeline thing where I've planned what events I want in each chapter and if I don't stick to that this will go on forever (it's already looking to be about 25 chapters). So I hope the length doesn't bother anyone._

_Special thanks to **AtmaterasuIce, StrangeoneXD, xXSanninChroniclesIsAmazing, Blue Slide Park, lucylala, Ginjaa Ninjaa, Your Story Is Wonderful, tsunaSakuFav, loewefan135, mikaka, pattgnwn, mochicocoa, Lover4etyXX, Lightning Catastrophe, blah-cakes, kingdomfarts, 557, anosahh, Kyo, teenagewriter, CarlaFox1997, Subaka no Anki, Dattebayo23109, Cap'nCrunch, x, Soraya the All Speaker, UnderTheSakuraBlossoms, TheKillersLover452, templar627, anonymous reviewer, Beatle, Jounin Lover, Thinkpad** and **Green-Eyes-Love **for your wonderful and inspirational reviews._

_I'm really sorry I took so long to update the previous chapter! I was just so busy with college - but honestly, your reviews made it happen. For real. The rest of my story was on this pen drive which I left back home (which is another country) but after reading what you guys said I was like "I HAVE TO WRITE MORE NOW!" so I called my mom and made her search for the pen drive and ship it to me, so I got my story back on track! Honestly, I was prepared to wait until June (when I'm going back home) but you guys really inspired me with your words. SO THANK YOU, I LOVE YOU AND PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING! I LIVE FOR YOUR REVIEWS! :D _

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade surveyed her reflection critically in the mirror.

Thank Kami-sama.

At the age of fifteen, the phenomenon known as puberty finally had the grace to hit her.

And it hit her hard.

Heck, for one thing, she certainly wasn't flat anymore.

She'd grown taller, more curvaceous, and her face had lost all traces of baby fat and was slimmer now, her delicate features more prominent. Her hair had grown longer as well, and was no longer as scruffy. She had left it in a high ponytail though, which fell down her back in waves of platinum silk.

She'd changed her outfit as well, foregoing the turquoise yukata for something older, more mature and – well, let's face it – sexier.

It's not like she was trying to catch anyone's green eye – or anything along those lines – she'd just finally grown into a woman, and there was no reason to hide it.

Tsunade flattened her short red skirt, wondering if it was a bit too short. It ended a good four inches above her knees, and showed off quite a lot of creamy skin.

_Well it's nowhere as short as Izumi Yamanaka's and at least I have the decency to wear fishnets, _Tsunade thought to herself.

Short skirts were the current fashion trend with teenage kunoichi those days, though Tsunade was one of the few who were fishnets as a fashion accessory.

She figured it would catch on soon enough.

She wore a fishnet top as well, which showed off her lean stomach, though she covered that with a white cropped midriff t-shirt. She wasn't a stripper, so she wasn't going to dress like one. Though there was nothing wrong with flashing a bit of tummy those days, she wasn't about to leave her chest covered with only bindings and fishnet.

For one thing, Jiraiya would faint from blood loss if she did.

Tsunade smirked slightly as she remembered her teammates' reaction the first time they'd seen her in her new training gear.

Well – Jiraiya's reaction.

To Tsunade's disappointment, Orochimaru hadn't seemed bothered. It's as if he didn't even notice the difference.

Jiraiya however had gaped at her for a whole minute, and been red-faced and stuttering whenever she spoke to him during training.

He even forgot to ask her on a date, though he made up for it by badgering her twice the next day.

She rejected him, mainly on principal.

It's not like she was warming up to Jiraiya and she would _never _consent to date him.

But – well – though she beat him up fairly often and rejected his advances – some of their interactions could get slightly flirtatious, the violence less violent and more playful.

Jiraiya seemed to get that Tsunade was growing up too now, and maybe she didn't mind his attention as much as she had a few years ago.

Things were strange between them – they were either close friends, or they teasing and mocking one another, or they were flirting, or they were fighting, or she was rejecting him outright.

It was an unstable relationship and Tsunade was pretty sure that something, somewhere was going to snap soon.

Unlike a few years ago where she'd worried about how this would affect team bonds, she was pretty certain by now that nothing would break up their team.

She, Jiraiya and Orochimaru were tight.

They'd been through dangerous missions and wars and attacks by S-rank missing-nin.

Unfortunately, in the Academy and their training session, one thing they were never taught to anticipate, or to defend against, was hormones.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Good morning!" the voices at the breakfast table chirped.

Tsunade smiled around at the children, greeting them in turn.

"Morning otouto… Kushina-chan… Minato-kun…"

The last addition had been a fairly recent one, though in the past few months he'd probably dined at their house about five or six times.

A little less than a year after Kushina had enrolled at the academy and declared that 'Minato Namikaze is a stupid flaky wimp who is trying to steal my position', the little girl had experienced a sudden change of heart.

Though Kushina had assured Tsunade that she wasn't going to back down in her campaign for Hokage, she figured befriending her competitor wouldn't be the worst idea.

So, one day, the little redhead had dragged a small boy with her from the academy, and announced that he was going to eating dinner with them.

Tsunade thought Minato was the sweetest thing, and wondered how Kushina could have loathed him for even a minute – though it was obvious why Kushina's hatred had dissipated so rapidly.

From what she'd heard of Minato – ambitious, genius, talented – she'd expected a snobby, Uchiha-ish brat.

But Minato Namikaze was polite and soft-spoken and altogether angelic; the absolute opposite to Kushina really.

Tsunade wondered how the two got along – probably a case of opposites attract.

Or just the fact that Minato, as a child, seemed extremely patient and accepting in general. Though Tsunade could tell he doted on Kushina.

It was sickeningly adorable.

They were sickeningly adorable.

Minato was a little golden boy – full of smiles, shining golden hair and eyes the purest blue color that Tsunade had ever seen.

He was far quieter than Kushina, and was one of the few children who never seemed to tire listening to her incessant chatter.

Nawaki would tolerate it for about five minutes before either wandering off or telling her to 'shut her trap' which would instigate some sort of scuffle among the two cousins.

But the first time Kushina had bought Minato to dinner, Tsunade had noticed that the boy was content with just watching her talk, a small little smile on his face.

Kushina was ridiculously cute as well, and ridiculously funny at the best of times, though Tsunade could tell she adored Minato. She was always dragging him home for meals (and by dragging, Tsunade meant dragging – Kushina would latch onto Minato's hand and not let go) and whenever she spoke about him, there was an excited (or more excited than usual) lilt to her voice.

It was all a part of the childish innocence of their friendship, but Tsunade was pretty sure they'd start dating once they grew up if things stayed that way.

She didn't want to bet on it lest she risk ruining the adorable start to what could be a beautiful little love story.

Nawaki really admired and liked Minato as well, so the three children were more than happy to play together, though Tsunade noticed Kushina had tendencies to get possessive about Minato when around others. She was also fiercely protective about Nawaki, which wasn't exactly necessary since Nawaki was no pushover himself – but then again, Kushina made even the loudest and boldest child look timid in her presence.

Tsunade was glad Kushina was settling in. She'd heard that the girl was quite the prankster, and some of her stories made even Orochimaru crack a smile (Jiraiya would be rolling on the floor with laughter by then). Tsunade enjoyed the rare times when she'd have her teammates over on the same day Kushina and Nawaki (and sometimes Minato) were around. It was enjoyable company.

On that note, Tsunade thought, she should probably plan one of those dinners soon.

Kushina also had one lone female friend – and to Tsunade's shock the girl was an Uchiha.

She had never come over; Kushina had invited her, but Tsunade suspected that the girl's parents had prohibited her.

But Tsunade would sometimes see Kushina running around town with a pale, black-haired girl in tow. She was a pretty little thing, small and frail, and she too, like Minato, was the opposite of Kushina.

Tsunade had never spoken to the girl – whose name was Mikoto – but she seemed to be shy, whereas Kushina was anything but. It was also uncharacteristic of an Uchiha. Most of the brats Tsunade knew were arrogant and thought no end of themselves, and the Uchiha girls could be quite prissy.

Still, though Mikoto seemed prim and proper, Kushina had declared that she was 'totally sweet' but sometimes a bit too 'girly'.

That contrast Tsunade could see – Kushina's clothes usually had multiple tears and were covered in mud by the end of a day. Mikoto, the few times she's seen her, was always looking clean and tidy in her little blue Uchiha-patented tunics and her pristine white tights.

Tsunade wondered how Kushina managed to befriend such well-behaved little gems. She'd thought the girl would have acquired quite the gang of obnoxious brats by then, so Tsunade was greatly relieved and approved of Kushina's choice in friends.

"And then the boys started pickin' on Miko-chan, and there's no way I was lettin' them,'ttebane, so I punched the first one in the face an' the rest of 'em got super scared of my mad skills," Kushina was saying, her mouth full of food.

Tsunade helped herself to breakfast, and listened. Sometimes, Kushina's rambles were more interesting than whatever political issues her parents discussed.

"Where was I when this happened?" Minato asked, sounding a little worried.

"Eh? I don't know, 'ttebane! It was just me an' Mikoto, Nawaki'd even gone home by then – why? You don't think I can take 'em myself, 'ttebane?"

Tsunade observed the new phrase – she didn't know where the hell Kushina had picked it up from, but the child seemed quite fond of it, injecting it into every sentence.

"I know you can handle them, Kushina-chan. I've seen how strong you are," Minato said sincerely.

"Believe it! That's why twenty years from now, I'm gonna kick your ass for Hokage, Minato Namikaze!" Kushina declared.

Minato smiled sweetly at her, his eyes crinkling up.

"We'll see about that, Kushina-chan. I won't go easy on you just because you're my friend."

Tsunade smirked to herself – what a sweet-tempered boy. If she were that age, she would have punched Kushina's head in for that by now – considering the fact that she made this declaration on a daily basis.

"Can you teach me that shuriken technique later, Minato-kun?" Kushina asked suddenly changing track, "Since we don't have school today?"

"What so you can use it against me later on?" Minato seemed wary of this.

_Smart kid, _Tsunade thought.

Kushina was smarter though – or just more manipulative.

She pouted cutely, puffing her cheeks out and stared at Minato with doleful eyes.

"Please Minato-kun? You're the best at it in class you know…"

Minato melted almost immediately, reaching over to pat her hand.

"Of course I'll help you, Kushina-chan. I was only joking earlier," he said, "You don't even need to ask."

"Thank you Minato-kun!" Kushina squealed, "So how about right now, after breakfast?"

"Kushina," Tsunade scolded, "He probably has plans. Ask him when he's free."

"It's alright," Minato said immediately, his gaze not leaving the bouncy little girl next to him, "I don't have anything to do today. I'm free the entire day actually."

"Really? So you'll spend the _entire _day helping me practice cool new jutsus and stuff?"

Kushina sounded utterly delighted at this prospect.

"He never said that," Nawaki pointed out, but Minato only had eyes (and ears) for his feisty female friend.

"If you want to," Minato said, a tiny flush creeping across his face, "And… um - you don't need to thank me. I – um – I like spending time with you…"

Tsunade smirked to herself.

Damn, they were barely six, and Kushina had that perfect little boy whipped, even though he was probably going to become some sort of insanely talented elite shinobi.

Usually at that age girls and boys despised each other. Or it was the girl running after and fangirling after the boy. This was the first time Tsunade had witnessed something like this.

"Come on, Minato-kun, let's go!" Kushina cried, jumping off her chair after she'd finished shoveling the last bits of food into her mouth.

"Let him finish, at least," Tsunade rolled her eyes at the child's impatience.

"No, I'm done," Minato said promptly, apparently unable to displease his friend or keep her waiting even a little bit.

Somehow, he had managed to finish though.

"Let's go, Kushina-chan," he said sunnily, following her like a devoted puppy.

"Bye Nawaki, bye Tsunade-san, thank you for having me over!" Minato added, polite as ever.

"Anytime, Minato, come again soon," Tsunade called, resisting the urge to pick up the little boy and kiss him on his golden crown of hair.

_God they're so adorable, I think I'm going to vomit at the sickening cuteness of it all, _Tsunade thought to herself.

In the meantime, Nawaki was rather indignant at being left behind.

"Hey!" he called, jumping off his chair, "Wait for me, I'm coming too!"

/\/\/\/\/\

"Hey, sexy."

"Hello, Jiraiya," Tsunade said, trying to keep a straight face.

She didn't know if she wanted to laugh in his face, blush, or punch him in the gut.

"Where are Orochimaru and sensei?"

"Ah, they're late, though that's good for us, right?" he asked her, winking.

"Please,' Tsunade rolled her eyes, and he sauntered over to her from across the training ground.

"Wanna spar with me?"

"_What?"_

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow.

"I asked you to spar with me-"

"No, I know that's what you said – it's just – I -" Tsunade shook her head, "Never mind."

"You what?" Jiraiya asked curiously.

"Nothing. Leave it. Let's spar."

"Oh, I get it," Jiraiya said, grinning and Tsunade cursed at his untimely perceptiveness, "You wanted me to ask you out on a date…."

"I didn't _want _you to," Tsunade corrected him, flushing, "It's just – that's usually how you say it and –

"Well, if you insist princess, I'm sure I'll be free in the evening," Jiraiya grinned.

"You know that's not what I meant and my answer is still no. I was just – confused, is all."

"Well, sometimes it's nice for you to actually say yes to one of my requests," Jiraiya deadpanned, and Tsunade felt a tinge of guilt.

"Whatever," Tsunade muttered, sliding into a fighting stance, "Let's get on with it."

"Alright baby, get ready for me," Jiraiya said and Tsunade rolled her eyes at how _wrong _that sounded.

Of course, knowing Jiraiya, he'd probably meant it that way.

He was becoming quite daring when it came to her. She probably wasn't being sufficiently violent with him, so he thought he could get away with stuff.

Tsunade reached for a shuriken, ignoring the little voice in her head that told her he probably could.

_Don't lie to yourself, princess… you know you like the attention._

The voice sounded annoyingly like Jiraiya's and Tsunade wanted to smack him for managing to worm his way into her head.

So she chucked her shuriken at him, parried his kunai, sidestepped the fireball he sent her way, and did just that.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Well, well, the two of you are _actually _sparring," Hiruzen observed, stepping into the clearing, "Congratulations. I'm proud of you."

His two students broke apart from the intense taijutsu spar they'd been engaged in, panting.

"Wh-what – do you mean?" Tsunade gasped, wiping a trail of blood of her cheek, and quickly healing the scratch with a finger.

"Usually any fight with Jiraiya degenerates into a child's scuffle," Orochimaru said snootily, leaping down from a tree, "Hello, sensei, Tsunade-hime."

"Bastard," Jiraiya panted, nursing his broken fingers.

"Come here, Jiraiya," Tsunade said after a moment.

Jiraiya looked at her incredulously.

"Why?" he asked.

"What? You're _healing _him?" Orochimaru sounded surprised, as surprised as Orochimaru could sound on a daily basis, "Why?"

""Cause she secretly loves me, you unloved cold teme," Jiraiya boasted, looking altogether delighted, "Right sweetheart?"

"Don't push it, Jiraiya," Tsunade warned him, but she was gentle nonetheless when she took his rough hand between hers, and began the healing process.

"My, my, you've actually matured," Hiruzen observed, "I never thought I'd live to see the day Tsunade offered to heal Jiraiya of her own free will during a spar. Usually by this time you're beating him to the ground, Tsunade-chan."

"Oh, come off it, sensei," Tsunade rolled her eyes, fighting a blush.

She could feel Jiraiya's eyes locked on her, and she steadfastly avoided his gaze and concentrated on mending his bones.

She progressed a lot in her medical ninjutsu in the past year, and increased her chakra reserves, so healing injuries like this didn't take much of a toll on her.

"There, I'm done," Tsunade said, pulling her hands away, but Jiraiya didn't let her, instead running a rough thumb over her knuckles.

Tsunade wrenched her hand away, shooting him a warning glare, though her stomach flipped weirdly.

Jiraiya just smirked, and walked over to where their sensei was standing with Orochimaru, the latter who had been watching the exchange carefully, his green eyes narrowing a fraction.

"So, what's up, sensei? Any cool new missions?" Jiraiya asked

"No, but I do have an announcement to make-"

"We're being promoted to Jounin?" Orochimaru said immediately.

Hiruzen smiled, but shook his head.

"No… not quite yet-"

"But soon, I'm assuming," Orochimaru pressed.

"I assure you, I will inform you when it happens," Hiruzen said, "Actually – my son is getting married."

"What?" Jiraiya yelped, "You have a _son_!"

"He's married, idiot, what's so surprising!" Tsunade whapped him.

"And we've even met his son once, at one of those dinner functions, remember?" Orochimaru added.

"Yes, I am married, I have a son, and you have met him," Hiruzen nodded, "Though Jiraiya you were too busy squabbling with Kushina throughout the course of that entire dinner, so I'm not surprised you don't remember."

"Oh yeah," Jiraiya said reminiscently, "That little brat put ketchup in my hair!"

"She only wanted someone else to have a hair color that matched hers," Tsunade giggled, remembering.

"So she thought putting ketchup in mine was acceptable?" Jiraiya demanded.

"You have white hair. Ketchup is red. For a five-year old, that is acceptable logic," Orochimaru pointed out.

"Anyhow," Hiruzen went on, knowing his team had the ability to go off on absolutely unrelated tangents and waste hours of time, "My son is getting married in a few weeks, and you all, as my students, are obviously invited."

"Alright, I _need _to buy myself a formal kimono," Tsunade muttered to herself.

"Why? I think you're fine the way you are," Jiraiya said, his eyes trailing over her fishnets almost lecherously.

"Ecchi!" Tsunade shrieked, blushing, "Just – just shut up, Jiraiya, or I swear I'll punch you."

Jiraiya shrugged, and didn't say more.

"You'll receive the official notice soon, of course," Hiruzen said, "And you're also all invited to the more private functions."

"Alright!" Jiraiya pumped is fist, "Free food!"

"That also means no missions that weekend," Hiruzen added.

"Damn," Orochimaru muttered, before adding, "Of course we're honored that we've been invited, and we'll be there, sensei."

"Suck-up," Jiraiya muttered under his breath, "Just cause he wants Hokage…"

"What gave you that idea?" Orochimaru asked.

"Not you too," Tsunade rolled her eyes, "Kushina will throw a fit if she finds out she has more competition… and she only really likes Minato…"

"Though I'm probably going to lecture you three about this the day before the functions, I expect you _all _to be on your best behavior," Hiruzen added sternly, "No fighting, no jutsu, no summons, no expletives – in fact, the more civilian-like you behave at the functions, the better really."

"What?" Jiraiya screeched, "But won't you have bodyguards and things? Since it's a big event there'll be foreign emissaries and Daimyos and guests right?"

"You're right, Jiraiya, but I have ANBU for that," Hiruzen sighed, "At this wedding, you three are going to be my guests. So please, for once – don't fight – and don't do anything outrageous."

"I'll keep Kushina away from Jiraiya," Tsunade promised.

"Meh, she doesn't have time to play with me anymore anyways," Jiraiya said, "Ever since she's found her new playmate, that Minato kid…"

"Also – there's going to be alcohol," Hiruzen said, "And I know technically anyone qualified to be a Chuunin is considered an adult in the ninja world – but the drinking age is still eighteen, which means all of you are three years underage-"

"That's the _civilian _drinking age!" Tsunade pointed out.

"We _are _Chuunin, nearly Jounin," Jiraiya added.

"In short, I do not want any of you three even going _near _the alcohol," Hiruzen said, "Do I make myself clear? Orochimaru – make sure those two don't get drunk."

"What! Sensei!" Tsunade cried indignantly, "Why do you assume he's going to be the responsible one! Jiraiya and I aren't going to get drunk of our asses you know! We'd just taste a little bit of sake-"

"No sake, Tsunade-chan. No anything, not for another few years," Hiruzen said.

"Yeah, yeah… I'm sure I have a crazy capacity, and Tsunade's probably a tank… Oro's going to be the lightweight we have to drag home..."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Orochimaru scoffed.

"Is that a challenge?" Jiraiya asked.

"Jiraiya! Don't even _think _of challenging him to a drinking challenge. And I'm not asking you three to take care of each other when drunk. I am asking you to stay _away _from the alcohol. I mean it. Considering how you three interact around each other when sober, I shudder to think how the alcohol would affect you."

"Just a sip," Tsunade wheedled, "Just to taste it?"

"No."

"A small sip," Jiraiya suggested, "Miniscule."

"_No."_

"Ahh… fine…."

"I'm _serious, _team. No alcohol – or I'll put you on D-ranks for the next month!"

"You can't do that!" Jiraiya protested.

"I'm the Hokage," Hiruzen grinned, "I believe I can."

"You're evil!" Jiraiya pouted.

"That's low, sensei…" Tsunade said, shaking her head.

/\/\/\/\/\

Team Seven's next mission, a B-rank, for once, had actually _been _a B-rank. They'd escorted a young man to Kirigakure and back, and had only been met by a small group of bandits, whom they had dispatched with ease.

"That is really sick," Jiraiya observed with a morbid fascination, as Orochimaru incapacitated the last of their enemies with snakes.

Snakes which seemed to sprout out of his arms, before they disappeared.

"What the hell kind of jutsu was that anyways?" Jiraiya demanded, "It wasn't a summoning!"

"It was time-space, a combination of summoning and physique modification," Orochimaru replied, pushing back his sleeves slightly, "I have the seals permanently tattooed onto my skin."

"It was really sick," Jiraiya repeated, shaking his head, "At least get a new jutsu that's decent to look at, or you'll never get chicks."

"What, like your imperfect sage form?" Orochimaru shot back, and Jiraiya glared at him.

"Whatever. That was a super-busy mission."

"We're ahead of schedule," Tsunade said, checking the pulse of the man she'd just punched.

He'd be out cold for another two hours, at least.

"At this rate, we'll reach Konoha an entire day early," Orochimaru observed.

"Meh, I don't wanna go back yet," Jiraiya grumbled, "They're not going to give us a mission since that wedding is in three days… sensei will just make us help with wedding prep and I don't want to waste my time doing girly stuff like that, or D-ranks…"

"Let's stop by that cute little town we crossed on the way here!" Tsunade squealed, clapping her hands together, "The one with the hot springs. We can relax and stay there for a day, and then head back! We've made tons of money from the last few missions anyways, and it's off-season so it won't even be that expensive."

"Hot springs, you said?" Jiraiya asked, grinning, "I'm in. What about you, bastard?"

"Hn," Orochimaru shrugged, "…as long as we're back in the village on schedule."

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade surveyed her room in satisfaction – it was a cozy little space, well-equipped, and with a soft bed – much better than sleeping in a forest.

She tightened her fluffy pink bathrobe – which the hotel had provided – and sighed to herself in satisfaction.

There was nothing like a peaceful hot dip in the springs to wash off the grime and exhaustion of a mission; even though their last hadn't been too exhausting at all.

She exited the room and headed to the reception, to find both of her teammates already there.

"Ah, look who it is," Jiraiya leered at her, eyes flicking to the ample cleavage that was visible from the bathrobe.

Tsunade, fortunately for him, didn't notice this – she was too busy controlling her _own _gaze – to prevent it from flicking to her teammates' bare, muscular chests – they were only wearing towels, not bathrobes.

"Mixed baths are to the left," the receptionist said, and Tsunade noticed she was eyeing them as well.

She felt a flash of possessiveness – heck, they were _her _teammates, who did that woman think she was?

"We'd prefer single-sex, thank you," Orochimaru muttered, ignoring Jiraiya's pointed glare.

"Men's are straight ahead then," the receptionist said, "And women's to your right."

"Idiot, you're no fun," Jiraiya pouted, before something struck him.

"Actually, never mind, go ahead bastard, Tsunade-hime, how about you and I-"

"Don't even think about it," Tsunade snapped, marching off towards the women's springs, "See you guys at dinner!"

/\/\/\/\/\

"Don't do it," Orochimaru said, as Jiraiya pulled himself out of the hot spring, wrapping his towel tighter around his waist.

"What?" Jiraiya asked innocently, dark eyes flickering to the small and yet conveniently positioned hole in the wooden partition.

"You know what I mean," Orochimaru deadpanned, "Tsunade-hime's in there. She'll seriously kill you this time."

"Nah, she may maim me and break a few bones… but she cares too much to actually kill me," Jiraiya said, inching towards the hole.

"_Don't," _Orochimaru warned him, "You'll regret it-"

"Oh stop being such a prude," Jiraiya flipped him off.

"She's our teammate, have _some _respect-"

"I do," Jiraiya said, crouching down, "I always respect and admire the female form. She should consider herself lucky I'm going out of my way to spy on her."

"Jiraiya, you baka, come back," Orochimaru said stonily, seeing that his white-haired teammate was serious about what he intended to do, "I can't let you-"

"What, you're going to try to protect Tsunade's honor or something?" Jiraiya scoffed, "Please, I bet you want to look as much as I do – hey, come on! I can share…"

"No."

"Fine whatever, I don't care. Just stop distracting me so I can concentrate."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Orochimaru sighed.

Jiraiya cackled to himself, adjusting his position so that his eye was level with the hole. He was so busy trying to catch a glimpse of his teammate through the steam that he didn't notice the small white snake that was slithering across the damp wooden floor towards him.

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade hummed to herself contently, enjoying the steam of the hot springs. They were empty, and she had them all to herself, which was rather enjoyable.

She sank down into the warm water, until it was just below her collarbones, and closed her eyes, relaxing.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Damn," Jiraiya muttered to himself, "Stupid water is covering everything… get out now, come on… stand up…"

/\/\/\/\/\

"Where's the soap," Tsunade muttered to herself, looking around before seeing it, perched at the other end of the spring.

She sighed – she was feeling rather lazy – but she did need a good wash.

She stood up, till the waterline was at her waist, droplets streaming down her wet form, and began walking towards the soap bar – and the little peephole behind which her teammate was crouching.

/\/\/\/\/\

Jiraiya got a good two seconds – which was more than enough to start an intense nosebleed – of a completely unrestricted view of his female teammate from waist-up – before something sharp pricked his ankle.

"Itai!" Jiraiya yelped, before covering his mouth.

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade froze at the sudden yelp from the other side of the wall.

That voice had sounded familiar – almost like Jiraiya.

And it had also sounded like it had come from close – way too close.

/\/\/\/\/\

Orochimaru made a hand seal underwater, and the tiny snake disappeared before Jiraiya could notice it. That would have alerted Tsunade – and he didn't want to interfere further in what was about to happen.

In the meantime, Jiraiya was clutching at his ankle in agony.

The poison wasn't potent – but it was excruciatingly painful. Though really, that pain would pale in comparison to what Jiraiya was about to receive.

/\/\/\/\/\

There was movement, Tsunade noticed – in a small hole in the wall, right across from where she was standing.

A flash of white caught her eye.

Tsunade gasped and dove into the water, as she began to comprehend what had happened.

She stepped out of the pool, tying her bathrobe tightly and securely around her.

Her face was flushed red and her fingers were trembling as she tied the knot – out of mortification, unrivalled mortification – and anger, hotter than she'd ever felt before.

She stormed towards the peephole, gathering liberal amounts of chakra to her fist.

SLAM! CRASH!

"Waaaahhhh!" Jiraiya shouted, as the wooden partition splintered in front of him, to reveal a dripping wet, and _extremely _angry Tsunade.

"Tsu – Tsunade – Tsunade-chan," he stammered, eyes going wide.

She'd caught him.

"Fuck," Jiraiya muttered, throwing a panicked look to Orochimaru, but his other teammate had already disappeared, choosing (wisely) not be present in the hot spring for the showdown.

Tsunade glared down at him, her eyes swirling with rage.

Then –

"YOU FUCKING PERVERT! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

/\/\/\/\/\

Orochimaru winced in sympathy as he toweled his hair dry. He could hear Tsunade's screams and curses, coupled with Jiraiya's yells, and the unmistakable sound of fists hitting flesh and wood and stone being destroyed – and was that a bone breaking?

He pulled on his yukata and rushed out, hair still damp, to survey the damage.

/\/\/\/\/\

"HYAAAA!"

Tsunade aimed her leg straight down, delivering one, final, chakra-infused kick.

It was a fifty-foot fall (her last punch had sent him spiraling upwards), and he covered the distance _quite _quickly after the impact.

Jiraiya landed into the springs with an enormous splash.

The water sloshed over Orochimaru, who had chosen that moment to make his appearance, drenching him from head to toe.

Orochimaru scowled – just when he'd dried himself off.

Tsunade landed on the ground, her landing cracking the stone floor, just as Jiraiya's limp form floated to the surface.

"What did you do?"

Tsunade whirled around, and glared at her other teammate.

When she spoke, her voice was cold, trembling with barely-suppressed rage.

"Broke both his arms. Fractured six ribs. And ruptured a couple of not-so-vital organs," she replied.

"Ah," was all Orochimaru said.

There was silence for awhile. Then –

"Is he going to be alright?"

"I give a fuck!" Tsunade spat, before clenching her fist, throwing Jiraiya's form one more dirty look, and storming off.

The ground cracked beneath her feet.

"Where are you going?" Orochimaru called.

"Home! If you want to drag his limp carcass with you, you can, because I refuse to _touch _him after this!"

"Aren't you going to heal him first?"

Orochimaru regretted the question, as Tsunade turned around to face him, amber eyes flinty.

"Heal him?" she asked, her tone uncharacteristically menacing, "HEAL HIM? After what he fucking – I'll heal him just so that I can break him all over again!"

She took to the rooftops after that, and it was the first time their team had split up voluntarily on the way back from a mission.

Orochimaru sighed, trudging towards the pool as he made signs for a summon.

He wasn't carrying Jiraiya – he didn't want to exacerbate the injuries.

Tsunade was a medic. She hadn't killed him. But she'd pretty much injured him precisely in every other possible place where she could without actually killing him. In fact, Orochimaru was sure that if he didn't receive medical attention fast – some of those injuries could be problematic, or even life-threatening.

A large snake appeared, and Orochimaru nodded at his unconscious teammate.

"Get him to Konoha as soon as possible."

He then reached into his bag, checking how much money he had – just enough to pay for the damages Tsunade had wrecked.

"Jiraiya, once you're up, you're repaying me for this," Orochimaru muttered, as he headed towards the reception, cursing both his teammates for making him clean up after them; one of them for being an unrepentant pervert, and the other for her anger issues, though Orochimaru knew he couldn't really blame Tsunade _that _much.

Kami-sama knew how much Jiraiya had seen.

/\/\/\/\/\

"I checked with Kiri. This was legitimately a B-rank, and you weren't attacked by more than bandits. _How did this happen?" _Hiruzen demanded.

Both Orochimaru and Tsunade were silent.

Jiraiya was still recuperating at the hospital. Tsunade had reached the village an hour before Orochimaru came, carrying an unconscious and broken Jiraiya, who had been admitted to the hospital immediately.

Orochimaru wanted it to be discreet, but nothing really got away from the Hokage, an less than an hour after Jiraiya had been admitted, Hiruzen had already visited the hospital, conferred with Mito and the nurses, and had summoned Orochimaru and Tsunade to his office.

Tsunade had ignored Orochimaru – she still hadn't gotten over her anger, it seemed – or her embarrassment. The dark-haired boy didn't risk pushing her.

"Neither of you will tell me?" Hiruzen asked, eyes narrowing.

Tsunade shot a look at Orochimaru out of the corner of her eye, but the pale boy wasn't saying anything. She was surprised, and extremely grateful. She had expected him to rattle out everything to their sensei, as he sometimes had the tendency to do.

"Sensei," Orochimaru spoke up, and Tsunade tensed, "Is he – conscious?"

"Not yet," Hiruzen said grimly, "That'll take a few more hours. He's broken both his arms, multiple ribs, has ruptured quite a few internal organs… tell me – how is it that _neither _of you are even slightly injured, and yet Jiraiya seems on the brink of death?"

"Brink of death?" Tsunade gasped, "He's not – really – he can't be-"

"It's a figure of speech," Hiruzen muttered, "Perhaps one that shouldn't be used in the shinobi world. He's going to survive without lasting damage. Your grandmother is going to see to him. In fact, he should be completely fine before the wedding, if she mends his bones."

"W_hat_?" Tsunade bristled, "Mito-obaa-san is – _no_! That's not fair! She shouldn't heal him completely!"

"What was that?" Hiruzen asked sharply, fixing his eyes on Tsunade.

Tsunade bit her lip, shaking. Orochimaru almost felt sorry for her.

"Your grandmother did indicate that all the injuries were caused purely by chakra and physical attacks alone – there was no hint of any jutsu being used – and the precision of the damage was quite controlled – even a bit more could have caused some of those injuries to be lethal – but they weren't…" Hiruzen trailed off meaningfully.

"Fine!" Tsunade snapped, "I did it, okay! And I – I don't regret it!"

"What do you mean?" Hiruzen asked immediately.

"I was angry, and he deserved it, and it's a miracle I didn't kill him, but I made sure I didn't! Besides, he doesn't really need his arms, and people can survive with up to six broken ribs and I made sure the angle of the fracture was such that they wouldn't puncture his lungs! And he doesn't really need his spleen anyways, it'll just cause him intense pain, which is less than what he deserves!"

Hiruzen observed his student as she continued her outburst. She was shaking, and her eyes were glistening – she was furious, but there also seemed to be a bit of underlying guilt.

"I didn't – I didn't kill him – I wouldn't – but he – but he deserves to suffer for what he did – and – and – Mito-sama shouldn't heal him – because he deserves – to feel the pain."

A tear streamed down Tsunade's cheek and she wiped it away hastily. Orochimaru was staring at her, though his face was expressionless.

"Tsunade-chan," Hiruzen said, "What did he do?"

He knew that the girl was angry when provoked – but Jiraiya had gotten away with a lot around her, and Hiruzen knew that no mere date request could have instigated her into pulling such a number on him. Jiraiya must have done something unspeakable.

"I – I'd rather not say," Tsunade muttered, reddening as she turned away.

Hiruzen turned to Orochimaru, but the boy was quite loyal to his teammate.

"It's not my business to tell you, sensei," he said apologetically.

"Fine then," Hiruzen sighed, "I'm sorry Tsunade-chan, but the medics are going to heal him. You can sort out your personal issues with him later. Fortunately there are no more missions for you three for another week or so, so that gives you enough time to reconcile-"

"I'm not going _near _him or _speaking _to him or even _looking _at him for a _long _time," Tsunade declared venomously, and she sounded like she meant it, "And if he dares to try to talk to me I _will _kill him."

She then stormed out of the room, leaving Hiruzen with his most well-behaved and least dangerous student.

"Orochimaru-"

"They'll be alright, sensei. Give them a few weeks."

"Just make sure they don't fight at the wedding."

"Sensei, she's going to be ignoring him at the wedding."

/\/\/\/\/\

The first function before the wedding was a rather private affair, held at the Hokage tower – just the Sarutobi family, the clan heads, the Senju family, some of the elite Jounin and ANBU leaders, Hiruzen's son's classmates, and Hiruzen's own team and his students. Which totaled to about thirty guests.

Out of which only three of them – namely Tsunade, Jiraiya and Orochimaru – were from their academy batch. Kushina and Nawaki had been present too, but were busy playing outside in the garden, whereas the three members of Team Seven were expected to stay upstairs.

And there was only a limited amount of small-talk which one could do with clan heads until one was left to companions of a more suitable age.

Tsunade had purposefully looked in the opposite direction, when Orochimaru had wheeled Jiraiya in on a wheelchair.

She then proceeded to ignore both of them for the first two hours of the event, which was an awkward and difficult affair.

She didn't mean to avoid Orochimaru – but he was always with Jiraiya, pushing him around, so it gave her no choice.

She'd noticed that both of Jiraiya's arms were in splints, and he'd been covered in bandages. Apparently, Mito hadn't had time to finish the entire healing process, since a few more injured shinobi had arrived later that evening.

_Good, _Tsunade thought to herself, ignoring the curl of guilt in his stomach, _he deserves to suffer… Kami-sama knows how much he saw…_

She also steadfastly ignored all the times she heard Jounin and clan heads speak to Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya-kun! What's wrong? How did you sustain such injuries?"

"Ah… just you know… missions… and training…"

He was vague, but she guessed she shouldn't appreciate it that much. If he revealed she'd caused them he'd also have to explain _why _and _that _would surely ruin his reputation as one of Hiruzen's star students.

During dinner, despite Kushina's protests, Tsunade made sure to drag her cousin and Nawaki to the opposite side of the table to where her teammates sat. She could feel their gazes on her throughout the entire meal, but ignored them both.

It was only after dinner – when everyone had moved out to the courtyard and was conversing quietly under the stars - that Orochimaru finally sought her out.

He'd left Jiraiya by the koi pond on his wheelchair, along with Kushina.

"How long do you propose to keep ignoring us?" he asked silkily, coming to stand by her on the balcony.

"I'm not ignoring you. You're just always with him," Tsunade replied, trying not to sound bitter.

"Someone needs to push him around. He can't wheel it himself, you broke his arms."

Tsunade ignored that part – he had a point.

Orochimaru sighed, and spoke again, after a moment.

"I'm not siding with him, if that's what you think."

"I don't think that," Tsunade lied, though a part of her was relieved.

She had secretly been waiting for him to ditch Jiraiya and come talk to her, as ridiculous as that sounded.

"You'll forgive him eventually though, right?" Orochimaru pressed, "He really regrets – what he did."

"Yeah right," Tsunade snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Well, maybe not so much," Orochimaru agreed, "But he does regret that you're not talking to him."

"Too bad."

"He's in a lot of pain, you know."

"Good."

"They were going to give him painkillers but he told them he'd deal with it. Said he deserved it or something."

"…well good," Tsunade muttered, feeling her resolve breaking.

She glared at Orochimaru.

"You're not making that up to try and make me feel bad so I talk to him, are you?"

"I wouldn't lie to you, princess," Orochimaru said, his eyes locking with hers.

Tsunade felt herself shiver, and she was suddenly reminded of a moment – over a year ago – of white fingertips brushing against her cheek, and a soft murmur.

_You're special, princess._

They were alone again, this time – standing on the balcony overlooking the Hokage Mountain, as the rest of the guests were in the courtyard below.

Tsunade felt awkward, though she didn't know why. This was her teammate – she'd known him for years – yet, standing there on that balcony, for once, she didn't know what to say to him.

"So – I heard from one of the Jounin… apparently they're going to supervise our next mission…"

"Hn."

"For promotion, you know."

"I figured… it's probably a good thing you vented all your anger out on Jiraiya last mission," Orochimaru noted, "I think that was a good three weeks worth of injuries."

Tsunade flushed, rolling her eyes.

"He asked for it… besides, what's to say he won't pick a fight with you?"

"He won't… if he knows what's good for him… basically, as long as you two don't try killing each other and we aren't attacked by S-class missing-nin again, the promotion is ours."

"What's to say I won't try killing you?" Tsunade teased.

"Don't kid yourself Tsunade-hime," Orochimaru smirked at her, "You know you couldn't get that angry, not at _me_."

Tsunade wondered what exactly he'd meant by that, and floundered around silently for a response, glad that the darkness would hide her blush.

She didn't have to reply though, because Orochimaru spoke again.

"I should go back down and check on him," he murmured, "Make sure he doesn't cause a scene… see you around…"

He then left – and as he did – for the slightest moment, his fingers brushed against hers – and then he was gone.

Tsunade wondered if it had been an accident, or a coincidence.

But then again, Orochimaru was always so careful and precise – he didn't have 'accidents' not often… which left Tsunade confused, a flush on her cheeks, pondering what had just happened, and wondering if she'd imagined it.

/\/\/\/\/\

The wedding itself was an elaborate affair. Pretty much every single shinobi and their family had been invited. All the clan members were present, as well as nearly every single ANBU, Jounin, Chuunin and Genin.

Tsunade had spent the first few hours catching up with her old classmates from the Academy – where she'd learnt her first rather shocking piece of gossip.

Sakumo Hatake – the genius, top rookie, star student of their year (along with Orochimaru) – had a girlfriend.

And not just any girlfriend – but the pretty auburn-haired Kasumi – who had incidentally been Tsunade's best friend prior to graduation.

Many fangirls had been heartbroken at this news, but Tsunade thought it was sweet, if not a bit surprising. They were fifteen – and though some shinobi and kunoichi started dating at twelve or thirteen – Tsunade had been so caught up in her team, and missions and medical ninjutsu – that she hadn't even considered dating anyone, that too, outside her team.

Though she harbored some – strange – thoughts about a certain teammate (or two) at times – she'd never truly considered dating them seriously, despite Jiraiya's incessant requests. As for the other shinobi in her year – well, Dan was nice enough, but she hadn't spoken to him that much lately – and she didn't even know the others that well.

She'd met Dan though – and noticed that he'd become even taller, the lines of his face harder – and she secretly thought that he looked sort of handsome in his dark blue yukata.

She also noted that it complemented her light blue kimono quite well, not that it was of any significance or importance.

Coincidentally (though Tsunade was rather suspicious of her teammates for it to have been a true coincidence), Orochimaru and Jiraiya ended up crashing her conversation with Dan.

"Tsunade-hime, we've been looking all over for you," Orochimaru said silkily, interrupting the conversation, nodding at Dan, "Dan."

"Hello, Orochimaru, Jiraiya," Dan greeted amicably enough.

Orochimaru was wearing a deep purple yukata. Jiraiya's was blood-red, and apparently he'd been healed, because he was walking now, though both his arms were still bandaged.

"Uh – hey – Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya said nervously, "Long time – haven't seen you around in a bit."

"No kidding," Tsunade bit out, narrowing her eyes at both her teammates.

She'd _seen _them, multiple times, and she knew that they'd seen her. But she'd purposely avoided them to go talk to others (because of Jiraiya, really) and they hadn't bothered to seek her out (probably again, because of Jiraiya).

"Anyways – uh – as nice as it was catching up with you Dan," Jiraiya began, and Tsunade shot him a murderous glare.

It was a glare that basically read: get the fuck away unless you want me to recreate the trauma I unleashed on you a few days ago.

Jiraiya gulped.

"May we borrow our teammate for a moment?" Orochimaru inquired politely, seeing as Jiraiya had been reduced to a quivering mess.

"Um – sure," Dan nodded, quirking an eyebrow.

He was used to Jiraiya and Orochimaru being rather – weird – around him.

"Bye, Tsunade-chan, it was nice catching up with you," he said, smiling, and then nodded at the other two.

"Bye Dan-kun, I'll talk to you again real soon," Tsunade called sweetly, before rounding on her teammates, glowering.

"What. The. Fuck."

"What?" Orochimaru shrugged, "You should be thanking us, we rescued you from having to converse with him further."

"You – what – I – _what?" _Tsunade spluttered, "What makes you think I needed rescuing, you pompous assholes! I _like _talking to Dan."

"I _like_ talking to Dan_," _Jiraiya imitated in a high-pitched voice before remembering his position and shrinking back, eyes wide with fear.

"I'm sorry, I take back what I said, please don't kill me!" he begged hysterically.

Tsunade suppressed a smile – he was rather comical – but then remembered why she had been angry with him earlier – the pervert – and rounded on Orochimaru.

"What did you bring _him _for?" she snapped at him.

"Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya whined, "Haven't I suffered enough? I'm really sorry, I am, and I swear I won't do it again… please don't ignore me…"

"Whatever," Tsunade rolled her eyes, and stalked off.

Jiraiya hobbled beside her, followed by Orochimaru who walked a little behind them, watching them with amusement.

"Really, I swear, I won't! I'll stop being a pervert, I won't do anything perverted in front of you! Besides, I barely even saw anythi-"

"BAKA!"

Orochimaru was in front of Tsunade in less than a second, his hand grabbing her wrist.

"Tsunade-hime, for sensei's sake… not now," he urged her, before shooting a glare at Jiraiya, "You moron."

"Sorry, sorry," Jiraiya said sheepishly, before pouting, "Tsunade-chan, pleeeease, come on… even if you don't want to talk to me, at least hang around with us… I won't bother you…"

"That's highly unlikely seeing as your very existence bothers me," Tsunade snarled at him, before turning to Orochimaru, "So what's up?"

Orochimaru smirked.

"Jiraiya managed to sneak something out from the buffet table… you know, for later tonight… after dinner…"

"What?" Tsunade asked, narrowing her eyes.

Orochimaru nodded at Jiraiya, who gestured at them, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

"Come closer, and I'll show you."

Tsunade cautiously took a step towards him, as Jiraiya unwrapped a portion of his bulky arm cast, just so Tsunade could see the slim tubes that were hidden inside – filled with a clear golden liquid.

"What the hell?" she asked, as Jiraiya rewrapped his arm.

"Those tubes," Jiraiya said, his voice gleeful, "I smuggled them out from the hospital. They're supposed to be used for keeping blood samples, but whatever, they're the only things thin enough to be shoved under my bandages that won't attract attention…"

"I got that, but what's _in _them?"

Orochimaru and Jiriaya both had identical evil grins on their faces, as they responded.

"Sake."

Tsunade's eyes widened.

"_Really? _Oh wow – can I try some later?"

"It's for after dinner, once all the Jounins and everyone go for that after party…" Orochimaru said.

"I don't know why we're not invited for that…" Jiraiya grumped, crossing his arms.

"It's eighteen and up. Or Jounin and up," Orochimaru replied.

"Yeah but we're practically Jounin-level."

"True… sensei probably didn't want us around the liquor."

"But we got it anyways, didn't we," Jiraiya said gleefully, rubbing his hands together, "So basically I have six test tubes of sake in my wrappings… two for each of us… sound good?"

"Awesome!" Tsunade said excitedly, "I can't believe you guys, this is great!"

"I see you're talking to me now," Jiraiya observed.

"Only for the sake," Tsunade snapped.

"We have to do it somewhere safe though – where no one can find us," Orochimaru said.

"All the elites are going to be drunk off their asses at the party," Jiraiya scoffed, "And the rest of them we can beat up anyways…"

"I don't think so," Orochimaru said, "The ANBU won't drink, and many of the Jounin won't, that would be politically and strategically moronic-"

"Tch, like they're going to be sober enough to think of _that_-"

"No seriously, Jiraiya, unlike you, the shinobi of this village have brains-"

"Oh, screw you…"

"I think I have a perfect place, actually," Tsunade interrupted, her eyes gleaming.

/\/\/\/\/\

After dinner, the three members of Team Seven stalked off as discreetly as possible. Tsunade's parents and their sensei were busy with the festivities, and most of their classmates had left as well.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

Jiraiya cursed under his breath, and Tsunade rolled her eyes. Of all people to be caught by…

"Hello Kushina-chan," she greeted, turning around and eyeing the little girl who had called after them, and her ever-faithful companion, "Minato-kun."

Nawaki wasn't with them – he was probably with his mother, or his other classmates.

Tsunade also noted that Kushina had already soiled her brand-new teal kimono – though she still looked like quite a pretty little angel in it. It contrasted beautifully with her long red hair, which one of the maids had painstakingly shaped into curls, though half of them were unraveling.

"We're going to train," Jiraiya said, but the child wasn't fooled.

"Your arms are busted," Kushina pointed out, "You can't spar!"

"Tsunade-chan and Orochimaru will be sparring. I will merely be observing – and criticizing," Jiraiya amended.

"Can we come watch?" Kushina asked hopefully, "Minato-kun's really good with jutsu too, 'ttebane!"

Said boy blushed slightly, but didn't say anything, just shuffled his feet.

"It might be dangerous," Tsunade began, but Kushina puffed her cheeks, and she opted for another method, "It's late. You should be in bed. I'll walk you home."

"No!" Kushina shook her head, red curls bouncing, "Obaa-san said I can stay up till eleven today!"

"Well – you still can't come to the training grounds," Tsunade said, "We're going over a mission and stuff. You know that mission details are secret."

"When I graduate even _I'll _get secret missions," Kushina said sulkily, though she knew she couldn't argue.

"Course you will, cutie, now run along," Jiraiya said, leaning forward to ruffle her hair, "Your little boyfriend can drop you home."

"Jiraiya!" Tsunade hissed, but it was too late.

Kushina had, quite literally, turned the color of a tomato.

"MINATO-KUN'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" she bawled in Jiraiya's face, "STUPID JIRAIYA!"

Minato, however, was blushing and twiddling with his fingers, before Kushina grabbed his hand and stormed off.

"Come on Minato! We're leaving!"

"Good job pissing her off," Orochimaru congratulated Jiraiya.

"Please, look at them. They're so cute, always running around like a tiny married couple, it makes me want to vomit."

Tsunade couldn't help but agree at that part.

"Anyways, Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya said, "What's that top-secret place you said we can get drunk at?"

/\/\/\/\/\

"You know, sensei would _really _kill us," Orochimaru snorted, "If he knew where we were and what we were doing."

"Nah, he wouldn't kill us," Jiraiya said, pulling out the test tubes and handing two to each of his teammates, "Probably restrict us to D-ranks for eternity…"

"And send us back to the academy," Tsunade said, taking hers, "But you have to admit, it's a nice setting."

It was a nice setting. They could see the entire village, all lit up, under the stars.

It was quiet and peaceful and away from prying eyes.

Nobody could disturb them, and as long as they left before daylight, nobody would find them.

Still, that didn't change the fact that the three students of the Hokage, the three star shinobi of the Leaf Village – were sitting, with full intentions of getting sloshed – atop their sensei, the Hokage's head.

"Can't we move to the First's head?" Jiraiya grumbled, shifting, "Sensei's hair is so spiky!"

"I am _not _getting wasted while sitting on my grandfather," Tsunade shrieked at him.

"So getting wasted sitting on our sensei is fine?" Jiraiya shot back.

"The First's head is smooth and slippery, you'd risk falling off if you get too drunk," Orochimaru said logically.

"Shut up, Oro-kun, I don't think I'm drunk enough for that kind of crap logic," Jiraiya said, uncorking his test tube.

Tsunade and Orochimaru followed suite.

"Ready guys?" Jiraiya asked, grinning around at his team, "On the count of three! One… two… three… bottoms up!"

The three clinked their test tubes and bought them to their mouths, taking their first gulps of alcohol.

Jiraiya choked and spluttered, spitting his out onto Hiruzen Sarutobi's head.

Orochimaru did the same, though far more elegantly, and didn't spit out all of it, managing to drink a little bit.

Tsunade on the other hand, downed the entire gulp, ignoring the warm tingling feeling it gave her at the back of her throat, and the slight watering of her eyes.

It was sour and had a sharp acidity to it, and it did make her throat burn – but Tsunade decided she liked it, and was about to take another gulp, when she looked at her teammate, who were staring at her.

"What?" she asked them.

Orochimaru said nothing, just thumped a still choking Jiraiya on the back.

Jiraiya gasped, and when he finally managed to speak pointed a finger at Tsunade.

"Drunkard!"

/\/\/\/\/\

Within the next hour and a half, Tsunade had finished both of her test tubes, as well as half of Orochimaru's. Jiraiya was nearly through with his second, and Orochimaru had stopped after one., preferring to remain relatively sober

Orochimaru had estimated that each test tube had a little under 200 ml of sake – straight, neat sake – which was about three shots.

Which meant that he was three down, Jiraiya was almost six, and Tsunade – Tsunade was reaching nine, as she chugged through Orochimaru's second.

"Seems like betting is not the only thing princess is legendary at," Orochimaru observed.

Jiraiya guffawed and Tsunade scowled at him.

"Shaddup, bastards, or I'll chakra-punch you both…" she slurred.

"You can't," Jiraiya shook his head, "You're too drunk, you can't draw chakra, Ts'nade-chan."

"Can too!" Tsunade shrieked, "Wanna spar?"

"Bring it on!" Jiraiya shouted back, forgetting he was injured – and drunk.

They both made to stand up, but lurched forwards, staggering in their drunkenness.

"Sit down idiots," Orochimaru rolled his eyes, as Jiraiya attempted to make hand seals, which only resulted in him nearly poking his own eye out.

"Itai!"

"Moron, don't try fire jutsu around alcohol," Orochimaru told him, "It'll combust and there'll be a huge blaze and everyone in the village will see it…"

It was surprising that he'd managed to read Jiraiya's muddled seals, but then that was Orochimaru.

"Guess what guys," Jiraiya said suddenly, "Guess what the old toad told me. I'm gonna have an awesome student one day an' he's gonna change the world…"

"That made no sense," Tsunade muttered, as Jiraiya rattled off his great (and secret) prophecy.

"Yep." Jiraiya nodded around to them, "And the toads also said my book's gonna be a best-seller. All the ladies will love me!"

"More so than they do now?" Orochimaru asked sarcastically.

"More, way more!" Jiraiya proclaimed, "I will have a harem and it'll be called Jiraiya's Harem! And it'll be great because-"

"Excuse me, asshole!" Tsunade screeched, "What was that?"

"What was what Ts'nade-chan?"

"A _harem _you sick bastard!"

Tsunade whapped Jiraiya on the head but it was largely ineffective.

Jiraiya grinned at her.

"Well, well, Ts'nade-chan, are you jealous?"

"NO!"

"You c'n be part of my harem too-"

"BASTARD!"

"Since you're pretty now and not flat anym-mmph!"

Orochimaru covered Jiraiya's mouth with his head before the idiot could say something that would get him pushed off of the Hokage's head.

"Whaddid he say?" Tsunade asked, eyes narrowing.

"Nothing, nothing, just that you're pretty," Orochimaru said hastily.

"Really Oro-kun!" Tsunade squealed, "You think – you think I'm pretty?"

"Jiraiya said it, not me," Orochimaru answered evenly.

Tsunade glared at him, crackling her fist.

Orochimaru stared back flatly, not at all threatened. He was sober, she was on her way to getting wasted – right now, she wasn't much of a match for him, especially since she couldn't control her chakra.

"Now that I've shared my 'mbition," Jiraiya drawled, "You're next. Teme!"

He pointed at Orochimaru, who stared back.

"Teme!"

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.

"TEME!" Jiraiya screeched, "SPIT IT OUT!"

"_What_, jiraiya?" Orochimaru asked, annoyed.

"What d'you wanna do when you're old? Other than be H'kage…"

"I really don't recall saying anything about Hokage," Orochimaru pointed out, yet again.

"C'mon it's g'na be one of us," Jiraiya said, "An' no way sensei's g'na give it to me cause he thinks I'm too immature."

"I don't want it either!" Tsunade cried, "So much paperwork! It'll never be me!"

"See, Oro-teme, basically, you have no choice," Jiraiya slurred, "Congratulations."

"…thank you," Orochimaru muttered, at a loss of words.

"Unless K'shina or M'nato-kun beat ya to it," Tsunade informed him, "They're going to be stiff competition, an' don't tell K'shina I told you but I'm secretly voting for you…"

"Thank you," Orochimaru repeated, rather offended at the idea that he would (hypothetically) be competing for the top position in the village with a hyperactive six-year-old and her little friend.

"BASTARD FOR HOKAGE!" Jiraiya screamed, and Orochimaru winced at the volume.

"It'll be his head up here one day," Tsunade giggled, "And K'shina will be sitting on it with Minato, getting drunk 'cause they both lost… 'cept they'll probably fall off…"

"Cause his hair is all smooth and slippery," Jiraiya nodded wisely.

"Yep!" Tsunade smiled, "It's all soft… Oro-kun… can I touch your hair, I've always wanted to…"

Orochimaru glared at his female teammate as she reached forward, running her fingers through his hair.

"So pretty…" Tsunade slurred, and Orochimaru sighed, though a smile was tugging at his lips.

"We should get going," he said, but Jiraiya shook his head.

"You still haven't told us what you're g'na do when you're old! You and Ts'nade-chan! I already went!"

"My main ambition is to learn all the jutsu I can…" Orochimaru mused, more to himself than to them.

"All of them!" Tsunade impossible, "That's not p'ssible, Oro-kun! There's like millions!"

"Billions!" Jiraiya added.

"Zillions," Tsunade continued.

"An' you'll be dead before you learn them," Jiraiya said sadly, "Oh, teme… I'm so sorry…"

"What if he didn't die?" Tsunade asked.

Orochimaru rolled is eyes. They were really ridiculous, his teammates.

"Ts'nade-chan, you're a medic, you know that's not possible. He has to die…"

"You're right," Tsunade said, "But what if he died after hundreds of years…"

"Thousands," Jiraiya said, "To learn that many jutsu, he'd need thousands…"

"Not possible," Tsunade shook her head sadly.

"Unless he lived forever," Jiraiya said, "Like that guy with the horns, what was his name?"

"Oh right! The rikkido sannin!" Tsunade gasped.

"Rikkodu sennin," Orochimaru corrected through clenched teeth.

"Yeah him!" Jiraiya exclaimed, "He was immortal! He didn't die!"

"Oro-kun," Tsunade said seriously, "You have to become immortal."

"Never die, okay!" Jiraiya added.

"Shut up, both of you," Orochimaru said softly, "You're talking utter nonsense."

"That's not good though," Tsunade was saying, "Cause we'll die and then Oro-kun will be alone."

"Oh yeah, I forgot, we're his social life," Jiraiya said, "Sorry bastard, you're going to die one day…"

"Some social life," Orochimaru muttered.

"So that we can all be happy in heaven," Tsunade sang, "All together forever."

"Please, Ts'nade-chan, you make it sound like a threesome," Jiraiya scrunched up his nose.

Orochimaru suppressed the urge to gag, and strangle the boy.

"ECCHI!" Tsunade screeched.

"Anyways… as I was sayin'… we're not dying for many years… but till then, we gotta stick together, okay, homies, keep it real-"

"Homies?" Orochimaru asked delicately.

"It's a phrase I heard 'em use one time in Cloud, it's like friends, or brothers, 'cept closer-"

"I'm not a boy!" Tsunade whined.

"We know that," Orochimaru assured her.

"So the three of us, we gotta stick together okay," Jiraiya continued with his unnecessary pep-speech, "We have _bonds _and stuff. We'll make Jounin and then ANBU and nobody can beat us, no S-rank missing-nin, nobody!"

"We're the coolest team in Konoha!" Tsunade cheered, "And we'll always serve this village!"

"Cause it's the best place on earth an' I never would wanna leave," Jiraiya vowed, "Right bastard?"

"Yes," Orochimaru agreed.

"See, he's a real cold girly teme, and Ts'nade-chan hits me a lot, but I actually really like you guys," Jiraiya admitted, slinging an arm around both his teammates.

Tsunade, surprisingly, didn't beat him for daring to touch her, and Orochimaru figured that since the idiot's arms hadn't healed entirely yet, no point furthering the damage.

"You two really need to get home," the dark-haired boy said, "Come on."

"We should drink water," Tsunade piped up, as the trio made their way down the Hokage Mountain, stumbling along the way due to lack of proper chakra control.

"Why?" Jiraiya asked, "We drank lots."

"We need water. I read in my medical scrolls. Alcohol makes your brain shrink away from your skull and that's what causes the condition more commonly referred to as a hangover," Tsunade recited, sounding surprisingly sober for a moment.

"What's a hangover?" Jiraiya wanted to know.

"Don't drink water," Orochimaru advised, "Go to sleep. And then wake up. You'll figure it out."

"Oro-kun, please, don't mislead him," Tsunade scolded.

The walk back to the village took a little under a half-hour and they reached a group of buildings, where Orochimaru stopped them.

"Wait here," he told them, "I'll get you water, and medicine."

"But I'm the medic!" Tsunade whined, "That's my job!"

"Your grandmother and your parents are at home, so I don't see how you'd manage that," Orochimaru pointed out, "I live by myself, however, so it isn't a problem."

"Invite us inside, you bastard!" Jiraiya screeched indignantly.

"I would, but there are traps, and since you're both drunk, you'll probably set them all off, and I don't think you have the reflexes to avoid a barrage of shuriken and I don't have the patience to look after you."

"He talks a lot now, have you noticed?" Jiraiya asked Tsunade.

"Yep. Much more than before," she agreed.

"Just wait. Don't go anywhere, don't do anything stupid, I'll be back in five minutes," Orochimaru told them, before turning and leaving.

Leaving Jiraiya and Tsunade alone.

Together.

At night.

Drunk.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Sooooo, princess," Jiraiya said, looking over at Tsunade, "What's new?"

"M'not s'posed to be talking to you, remember," Tsunade pointed out.

Why wasn't she talking to him again? Her intoxicated mind tried vainly to remember, but she couldn't. Tsunade figured it wasn't that important, and dismissed it.

"But you are," Jiraiya grinned, "'Cause you can't resist."

He winked, at Tsunade felt her stomach flutter.

"Must be the alcohol," she muttered to herself, "Stupid sake…"

He flirted with her all the time. It wasn't supposed to affect her.

"What must be the alcohol?" he asked, leaning forward.

Tsunade had her back to the brick wall of Orochimaru's building – and Jiraiya's hand was resting near her head, and he leaned dangerously ahead. Tsunade could smell the sake in his breath.

And his voice – his voice was low and rough – probably the alcohol again – and it sent shivers down her spine.

"Butterflies," Tsunade muttered, shaking her head, "Stupid butterflies."

"Really?" Jiraiya asked, raising an eyebrow, "Where?"

"What?" Tsunade squeaked, "I didn't say anything!"

Jiraiya smirked, cottoning on quite quickly despite his inebriation.

He placed a hand – a tanned, calloused hand – on Tsunade's waist.

Tsunade breathed in sharply.

She should start gathering chakra about now – and hit him – _hard._

But why was it feeling good? It wasn't supposed to feel good. Jiraiya's hand – that large, _masculine _hand – was on her _waist _– and _why _was he touching her _there, _like _that _– and _why _was he looking at her out of such intensely dark, dark eyes – and _why _was she – could she possibly be – enjoying it?

"Where do you feel it?" he asked again, and his voice was slurred too, and he must be closer, because she could smell the sake, and it smelt stronger.

The hand moved – it slid, slowly – from her waist to her flat stomach.

"Here?" he murmured, and she swore that she could nearly taste the sake in his breath, he was so close.

Why was he so close? Why was he touching her?

His lips were centimeters from hers.

Why wasn't she punching him? Why couldn't she stop him.

It didn't feel good. She didn't want it. She didn't want him.

She could see every angle of his face, the hard jaw, the straight nose, the eyes that were dark, so dark.

She could feel his breath on her lips, and feel the spikes of his hair tickling her forehead.

"No," Tsunade mumbled, "I don't – like you – like that – Jiraiya…"

He smirked, and it made her heart flip and tumble and do all sorts of strange things which Tsunade attributed to the alcohol.

His hand was off her waist now – _why had he stopped touching her – _no, that was probably a good thing.

It was definitely a good thing.

But then suddenly his fingers were in her hair, twirling the platinum blonde strands around.

"Don't like me like what, Ts'nade-chan?" he breathed, and she felt rather than heard his words.

_He's going to kiss me, _Tsunade realized, _I should stop him. He's my teammate. I don't want him to kiss me, I shouldn't want him to kiss me… maybe if it was Orochimaru… no, I don't want him to kiss me either. Especially not Jiraiya. I don't want to know what it feels like. I don't want to know how his lips feel or what he tastes like because he probably tastes like sake and all I can taste is sake anyways and maybe it won't be so bad since he'll just taste like me and I've always wondered what it's like to be kissed…_

Jumbled, incoherent thoughts flew through her head, and despite everything, Tsunade felt her eyes flutter shut.

Her head was spinning – and she could nearly taste him, almost, _almost._

He was so close. Tsunade didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

The world was reeling.

She didn't know whether she wanted him closer or further.

He was speaking, his words low murmurs, and she could barely hear them, barely make out what he was saying.

"You keep saying you don't like me like that, but I think you do… you can stop me now, and if you really didn't like me, you would have stopped me a long time back… they say people's true selves come out when they're drunk… I think it's all an act and underneath everything you actually like me a lot…"

_I don't like him. I can't like him. He's just Jiraiya. _

She could feel his body – his hard form –pressed against hers – pressed against the wall. She could feel the heat radiating from him – smell the sake, and the musky hint of cologne wafting off of him.

He smelled nice – _very _nice – it was a bit exhilarating, that she could feel and smell him.

"You smell nice," Tsunade murmured.

His fingers ran along her chin, tilting it up.

"Why, thank you."

There was a flirtatious lilt to his voice. She liked it.

He leaned closer. He was going to kiss her. She was sure of it.

Tsunade's world spun, again, and she leaned forwards – missing his lips completely – before collapsing onto his chest.

He caught her, his strong arms wrapping around her – and everything was a blur of colors and sounds after that.

He was saying something, and then she heard Orochimaru, though he sounded very far-off. She could see them both, just flashes of them, and their eyes, their beautiful worried eyes.

She felt his arms, still around her, not letting go, even as the world spun and spun and spun.

As darkness took her, she wasn't sure what was happening – had she used up all her chakra? That wasn't possible.

Nothing made sense, and everything was muddled and discombobulating and misleading. The world lurched back and forth under her feet – was somebody using an earth jutsu? Were they under attack?

She wasn't sure. She wasn't sure of anything, as everything went black around her – except one small fact, which was important, it seemed, and stood out despite all the confusion.

He still hadn't kissed her.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Good morning, sunshine!"

Tsunade groaned, covering her eyes.

Her head was _throbbing. _It felt like someone had taken a chakra scalpel and scraped out every little bit of her brain.

"Whaddya want?" she muttered groggily.

"Time to wake up!"

The voice giggled. It sounded familiar.

Tsunade shot up, before groaning again.

Everything was spinning.

"Careful," the voice said, before handing her something, "Drink. You should've known better and had it yesterday, considering you're a top medic and all."

Tsunade raised the glass to her throat and gulped it down – it was cool and refreshing.

Water.

Damnit, why hadn't she had water before? Right because she'd been drunk last night with her teammates and –

"Damnit!" Tsunade cursed, her eyes flying open.

"Ah, so you're actually awake now, and conscious," her friend, Kasumi grinned, "Good to know."

"Ka-Kasumi-chan?" Tsunade asked, confused.

"Long time, huh?" the girl smiled, "We haven't had a sleepover in over – ten years – or longer, maybe…"

"Yeah…" Tsunade nodded, before stopping.

That only made her head hurt more. Hangovers were a bitch.

"What – what happened?"

"You're teammate dropped you off last night," Kasumi said, "You were out cold. How much did you have?"

"About," Tsunade narrowed her eyes, calculating – if each test tube at the hospital held 200 mL then that meant – "Nine shots."

"_Nine!" _Kasumi gasped, "On your first go! Wow, Tsunade-chan – you're a tank! And you didn't even puke, you just fainted!"

"Yeah," Tsunade shrugged, still feeling somewhat dazed, "My parents-"

"Oh, don't worry, I sent a message over with our maid to your house telling them you were sleeping over. My parents are on a mission, so it's fine really. Good thing Oro-kun had the sense to bring you here instead of dumping you on the road somewhere, or worse, taking you home!"

"O-Orochimaru?" Tsunade stuttered, "What about – what about – Jiraiya?"

"What about him?" Kasumi shrugged, "I don't know. Orochimaru showed up, carrying you, and he said that you were completely sloshed and that I should take care of you and give you lots of water. And then he left – I mean – he's never really been the social type…"

"What time was this at?"

"About – 2 a.m. I'd say…"

"Right…" Tsunade sighed, her heart lurching weirdly.

She had the terrible feeling that something had happened with Jiraiya last night – she couldn't remember _what _but she knew she'd recover the memories eventually – but she was still mortified.

She had _fainted?_

And if she was that drunk – she hadn't _said _anything had she? To Jiraiya – or worse, to Orochimaru?

And he'd _carried _her all this way – _alone_?

A small part of Tsunade (which she tried keeping locked away at all times) swooned at the thought of her stoic, dark-haired teammate carrying her through the village in his arms at night – or rather, two in the morning.

"I'm sorry for well – for this," Tsunade muttered, but Kasumi shook her off.

"Ah, it was nothing. But – I want details!"

"Details?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, downing a second glass of water.

"Yep! You and genius boy, all alone… what happened?"

"Nothing happened," Tsunade muttered, "And I really don't remember… I think I should go back to sleep maybe…"

"I think you should too," Kasumi agreed, "I have a date with Sakumo-kun for lunch, but we should catch up for dinner!"

"Yes," Tsunade agreed, slumping back into the pillows.

/\/\/\/\/\

When she woke up again – at around three p.m., her headache was mostly gone.

She also remembered the memories, as they flooded back to her, with frightening clarity.

Jiraiya. What he'd said. What she'd said. What he'd done. What he almost had, but _hadn't _done.

"Fuck!" Tsunade cursed, burying her face into her pillow.

The only thing that consoled her was that as far as she remembered, she'd pretty much fainted by the time Orochimaru had come – and so she probably hadn't humiliated herself or said anything stupid in front of _that _particular teammate.

She'd slipped up with Jiraiya, and she could rectify that… and she could handle it.

But if she'd slipped up with Orochimaru… Tsunade was silently thankful.

She didn't know _what _she would have done then.

"I'm _never _touching sake again," she muttered.

Of course, for promises like that, only time would tell.

/\/\/\/\/\

_Author's Note - Phew. Done. Hope you liked. A bit different from my other chapters in that it focused a lot on romance and things rather than action._

_I had no clue how to write Tsunade drunk. Hope it was okay and had no major problems._

_Yeah I know MinaKushi's sickeningly sweet, but I just see them that way. It deviates a bit from canon because the most recent episode (Shippuden 246 - WATCH IT IF YOU HAVEN'T SUCH CUTE MINAKUSHI CHIBI LOVE) gives the impression they didn't talk in academy. In fact, Minato seems kind of stalkerish (cutely so) in that, where he just follows Kushina around and watches her. But I wanted to make them cute little kiddies in love. Hope it doesn't bother anyone._

_To answer a few questions - yes this is going to follow canon with a few obvious exceptions (the OroTsu and JirTsu) and a few additions and changes to the timeline. But it's going to end on a not-so-happy note (around chapter 25) and things start to get fucked up in a few chapters, I warn you - as Orochimaru starts becoming the creep he becomes and Jiraiya changes too... though there will be some DanTsu (not much)_

_Anyways, as usual REVIEW PLEASE! Really. I'm going to update this regardless, but honestly, very honestly, reviews greatly speed up that process :) And I truly want to know what you all think and if there's anything you'd like to see in the next few chapters! Thanks for reading!_


	10. Of Puppets and Poison

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

_Author's Notes: I'm sorry it took so long to update but this chapter was a real bitch to write and I've been terribly busy. But here it is!  
_

_Special thanks to all those who reviewed! **Ginjaa Ninjaa, UnderTheSakuraBlossoms, StrangeoneXD, literallyshutup, Amaterasuice, Soraya the All Speaker, joanna, Naboo, Mei, CMinuteByMinute** and **Last Inferno **__for your kind words the last chapter. I really appreciated everything you guys wrote! So much love for you! :D_

_Warning: Rated M for implicit (very implicit) jokes of a sexual nature and references to alcohol consumption (I should have mentioned this earlier)  
_

/\/\/\/\/\

"They _have _to," Jiraiya muttered, "We got the damn scroll and defeated all the enemies in under ten minutes. They _can't _not."

"I don't know," Tsunade looked dubious, "It was a pretty easy mission for an A-rank… I don't think it was impressive enough for us to-"

"It was easy because we're just _that _awesome!" Jiraiya shot back, "Come on, why else would they send an ANBU with us? We've been doing solo team missions for ages!"

"Yes, but as Chuunin, we're not technically qualified for A-ranks, even though a lot of our older missions turned into higher ranks," Tsunade argued, "That's why according to protocol, we required a Jounin captain or ANBU-"

"I'm telling you, Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya insisted, "_that _was the mission! I'm willing to bet on it!"

Tsunade rolled her eyes at this, and turned to Orochimaru, who was leaning against the door in silence.

"Can't hear a word of his report," Orochimaru said softly, "Even with chakra enhancements… the door must have some sort of ninjutsu blockage seal…"

"Damn sensei, doesn't trust anyone," Jiraiya grouched, "Kami-sama, who takes so long to give one freaking mission report!"

The three members of Team Seven had been waiting impatiently outside the Hokage's office for the past thirty minutes.

Tsunade's stomach was fluttering with anxiety, Jiraiya was more jumpy than usual, and even Orochimaru seemed slightly on edge.

When the door finally opened, all three of them froze, as a tall ANBU with a bird's mask calmly walked out; he had been their captain for the mission.

He paused for a moment, surveying them.

"You're still here, I see," he said evenly, "Well enough, the Hokage would like a word with you."

Tsunade inhaled sharply, as Jiraiya practically yanked her and Orochimaru into the room, slamming the door behind them.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Well, my students," Hiruzen stated, threading his hands together on his desk.

His head was tilted down, and Tsunade couldn't make out his expression under the Hokage hat.

"Oh come, sensei, enough with the drama, spit it out already!" Jiraiya exploded, unable to control himself.

When Hiruzen looked up, his eyes were twinkling and there was a proud smile on his face.

"You know as well as I do what that mission was for, and all three of you proved yourselves impeccably. Congratulations, you've been promoted to Jounin."

"YES!" Jiraiya shouted, jumping up and pumping his fist in the air, "I knew it!"

"Oh, thank goodness!" Tsunade shrieked, happiness bubbling within her.

"Finally," Orochimaru said, though even he was unable to control a smile from making its way onto his face.

"Group hug, guys!" Jiraiya beamed at his teammates, his arms outstretched.

Tsunade hugged him quickly, pulling away before he could cop a feel.

"Don't you dare," she snapped at him, though she was still smiling.

Orochimaru didn't partake in the group hug, though didn't verbally object to Jiraiya affably slinging an arm around his shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, all of you," Hiruzen said, "Dinner's on me, tonight."

"Yes!" Jiraiya pumped his fist again, before looking shrewdly at Hiruzen, "Since we're Jounin now, you'll buy us drinks, right?"

Hiruzen considered this for a moment, before smiling slightly.

"I suppose a shot each would be alright, considering you're Jounin, and sixteen..."

"Just _one_?" Jiraiya shot back, "Aw, sensei, you're no fun…"

"Don't push it," Hiruzen warned him, and Jiraiya smirked to himself.

What Hiruzen didn't know was they had drank sake, over a year ago, at the age of fifteen; their first time.

Orochimaru had consumed about three shots, Jiraiya himself six and Tsunade…

Tsunade beat them both with about nine.

Tsunade was also remembering the same incident, flushing to herself.

That was the first time she'd gotten drunk.

It was also the first time that she and Jiraiya had almost –

She shook her head, clearing the memory away. That had never happened. It was best forgotten, a near-mistake that fortunately, had been stopped by her timely passing out.

This time, for sure, she would keep her limits when she drank. She wouldn't lose control of her senses, because _another _such moment with Jiraiya would be unacceptable.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Cheers!" Jiraiya held up his shot glass, and Tsunade and Orochimaru clinked theirs to his.

They gulped down the sake, their faces transmogrifying into the usual post-alcohol-drinking expressions of disgust.

Hiruzen chuckled.

"The first sip is always the worse," he said wisely.

Orochimaru, Jiraiya and Tsunade all exchanged smirks at this.

"It's – it's terrible," Tsunade lied after a moment.

Sure, it wasn't particularly delicious, but like the first time, she'd developed a certain affinity for it.

"Aren't you having any, sensei?" Jiraiya asked.

"Oh, of course not," Hiruzen shook his head, "I have a meeting with the elders. Couldn't possibly show up to it drunk, they'd throw a fit! Besides, no Hokage should drink on duty, that's disgraceful."

"I bet if Tsunade-chan were ever made Hokage, she would totally do it," Jiraiya snickered.

"Shut up!" Tsunade smacked him, "I'm never going to be Hokage, and if I were, I certainly wouldn't drink on the job!

Hiruzen didn't permit them to order any more shots, and the rest of the dinner passed enjoyably.

Before the bill arrived, however, a young messenger came up with a scroll. Hiruzen read it, and scowled.

"I'm afraid I'll have to rush," he said apologetically, "Something's come up in the council. I'll see you three tomorrow. Congratulations, again!"

He left the money with Orochimaru and disappeared quickly after.

"Brilliant," Jiraiya whispered gleefully, rubbing his hands together, "Brilliant, he's gone _and _he's left the money."

"No," Orochimaru shook his head, practically reading Jiraiya's mind, "You can't. Not with sensei's money, that would be wrong."

"Aw, come on, don't be a killjoy," Jiraiya wheedled, "It could very well be used to pay for dessert, and you know he wouldn't mind…"

"I won't let you-"

"We're Jounin, damn it! We deserve to have some fun!"

And before Orochimaru could object further, Jiraiya had ordered more shots.

/\/\/\/\/\

"To us, for finally making Jounin," Jiraiya announced, and they clinked glasses a second time that night, before chugging down the liquid.

/\/\/\/\/\

"For finally being able to drink like this legally," Tsunade giggled, on their third team shot.

/\/\/\/\/\

"For – for – team bonds – and stuff – and bastard getting Yondaime once – once sensei retires," Jiraiya said, looking a little dazed as the sake began to hit him.

"I'm not-" Orochimaru began, but Jiraiya shoved the stuff down his throat before he could complete his sentence.

"Jack-ass," Orochimaru coughed, his eyes watering slightly.

He managed to swallow most of the sake, though some of it sloshed down onto his chin. Orochimaru flicked out his long tongue and lapped it up in a smooth motion.

Tsunade watched, slightly transfixed.

"Si-ick!" Jiraiya whined, "Stop doing that stupid jutsu!"

"What's your problem?" Orochimaru glared at him.

"You used the remodificate-jutsu-thingy to make your tongue long," Jiraiya scrunched his nose, "That's so gross!"

"You find all my jutsu gross," Orochimaru pointed out.

"Well this one is gross _and _useless," Jiraiya shot back, "What's the point - of having a super-long tongue that moves, you freak?"

"I didn't do it intentionally," Orochimaru admitted, "It's one of the side-effects of the jutsu… I can pretty much extend any part of myself that I want to now, it's sort of spread…"

"_Any _part?" Jiraiya sniggered, an evil glint entering his eyes, "So say you wanted to-"

"_Don't _go there," Orochimaru warned him.

Jiraiya mumbled something along the lines of 'width matters more'n length 'nyways', which resulted in Orochimaru nearly stabbing his eye out with a fork.

"But Oro-kun," Tsunade wondered, "If your tongue is so long, how will you make out with a girl properly?"

She gasped, realizing what she'd asked out loud and covered her hands over her mouth.

That was, by no standards, an appropriate question to ask a teammate. Clearly, the alcohol was clouding her judgment and Tsunade regretted it, though she was curious for his answer.

Both Orochimaru and Jiraiya were looking at her oddly.

"I've never really – thought of that as a concern," Orochimaru said carefully after a moment, tilting his head and surveying her.

Tsunade deflated slightly, but didn't show it.

Jiraiya however, wasn't one to keep his opinions to himself.

"Like any girl's going to want - having your tongue of a snake – shoved down her throat!"

Orochimaru ignored this, and Tsunade secretly thought it wouldn't be so bad, kissing someone with such a long and flexible tongue, before she immediately banished the treacherous thoughts from her mind.

She couldn't be – not Orochimaru!

Fortunately, the need to continue this awkward conversation was averted, much to Tsunade's relief, by the arrival of their fifth round of shots.

She eagerly grabbed a shot glass, hyper-aware of Orochimaru's gaze on her.

"For Katsu-chan! And Gama! And Manda!" Tsunade squealed, cheeks flushed, "'Cause they're the bestest animal summons ever-"

"Best," Orochimaru corrected.

"And we – couldn't've done that last mission – without 'em…" Tsunade went on, squeezing her eyes shut as she chugged.

/\/\/\/\/\

An amused waiter placed the sixth round of shot's on Team Seven's table.

"I'm done," Orochimaru announced, getting up and staggering slightly.

"What? No!" Tsunade whined, "Don't leave us!"

"Yo, but your sixth shot - already called for it," Jiraiya grumped, "Get back here!"

"No, no," Orochimaru shook his head, his green eyes glassy, "Really – I'm done. I'm feeling – I'm going home…"

"Are you – are you sick?" Tsunade asked worriedly, "'Cause I know – medical – stuff…"

"I'm fine," Orochimaru said, putting a hand to his head, "And you can have my shot, Ts'nade-hime."

"Tch, told you – teme's a - a lightweight," Jiraiya said derisively, shaking his own head slightly.

"But – but – don't go," Tsunade slurred, "We'll miss you!"

"I'm not taking - care of you two again," Orochimaru shook his head, "Just don't get – too sloshed okay… I'll see you at – training tomorrow…"

And he stumbled out of the restaurant, far less graceful than he usually was, leaving Tsunade and Jiraiya.

"So, princess, just – you an' sexy ol' me, huh?" Jiraiya waggled his eyebrows, "Lot like a date I'll say…"

"Shut it," Tsunade glared at him, downing her sixth shot, and slamming it down on the table.

"Hey – that was quick," Jiraiya observed, handing her Orochimaru's shot, "Come on then – one more…"

Tsunade lifted it, and Jiraiya leaned in, smirking.

"This one's for us, Ts'nade-hime," he winked at her, "For us and – for what – almost could've happened last time…"

Tsunade drank the shot and then narrowed her eyes.

"Wait – what – what do you mean?" she asked, her head muddled.

_Last time…_

The alcohol was clouding her brain, and she wasn't quite sure until a sudden memory hit her.

A memory of Jiraiya's hand on her waist, his breath on her lips, as they stood, up against a wall, waiting…

"No!" Tsunade cried, eyes widening, "You said – the next day – at training you said – you'd forgotten – you said you didn't remember – anything!"

"I lied," Jiraiya said simply, before grinning.

"You – you – you –" Tsunade sputtered, her head reeling, "No…"

For over a year, they had pretended like it hadn't happened. It had been easy enough for him, she'd supposed, since he had claimed he hadn't remembered anything of the night when she'd asked him.

/\/\/\/\/\

_"Nothing?! Nothing?!" Tsunade shrieked, her hands on her hips._

_Jiraiya scratched his head, and then looked at her flatly._

_"Nope." _

_"Argh!" Tsunade clenched her fists, before glaring at him and he shrugged back._

_"Hey, it's not my fault!"_

_"Tell me the last thing you remember!" Tsunade ordered._

_"Um – I think we were on sensei's head – talking about, um… teme running for Hokage?"_

_"That's all?" Tsunade asked, shaking slightly, "You remember – nothing else? Nothing more – after?"_

_Jiraiya looked at her oddly._

_"Was there something I should remember?"_

_"No," Tsunade said quickly, "No, no, no, nothing at all!"_

_She didn't know whether or not to be relieved or disappointed that he didn't remember. _

/\/\/\/\/\

"You lied to me!" Tsunade cried, "You – you lying liar! You lied!"

"I did," Jiraiya nodded.

"For over a year! Why?!"

"Didn't wanna – make stuff – awkward," Jiraiya slurred, "What w's – the point?"

"You lied!" Tsunade repeated, attempting to glare at him, but a part of her muddled, inebriated mind was still unable to get over the fact that he'd hidden it.

He'd remembered the almost-kiss. So why had he pretended to forget? Did he think it was a mistake too? He couldn't have – he was Jiraiya and she was sure that he liked her and he was always asking her out. Why would he pretend to forget the one time she showed that she might have liked him, not that she _did _like him.

Tsunade bought a hand to her head.

"M'head hurts," she muttered, scowling at Jiraiya, "Lying baka."

"I'm – sorry?" Jiraiya offered, and he placed a hand on the back of her head, just above her neck, his fingers moving through her hair, massaging.

It felt good, very good, and in her alcohol-induced haze, Tsunade didn't want him to stop.

"Baka," she repeated, though with a lot less vehemence this time.

He just continued stroking her hair, his fingers rubbing gently against her scalp.

"One last shot – b'fore I drop you home?" Jiraiya murmured, his dark eyes watching her carefully.

Tsunade blushed, and smiled at him.

"Mmk…" she agreed.

/\/\/\/\/\

They stumbled their way home after that.

Or rather, Tsunade stumbled. Jiraiya, though drunk, was relatively steady, and supported her, with one arm securely around her waist.

"Where are we going?" Tsunade asked, "Can't go – can't go home… not now... not when m'tipsy…"

"You're way more'n – jus' tipsy, Ts'nade-chan," Jiraiya pointed out.

"Yeah an' N'waki can't see me like this!" Tsunade giggled, "M's'pos'd to be his role model…"

"As if," Jiraiya laughed, and her attempt to punch him was largely ineffectual.

He stopped suddenly, turning around to face her.

Tsunade stumbled forward for a moment, her nose bumping against his, and he placed his hands on her waist to steady her.

She stared at him out of wide eyes – they were nearly the same height now, considering she was wearing six-inch stilettos, though he was still a small bit taller.

Her heart was beating rapidly, and she tried steadying her breathing, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Careful, princess," he murmured, not making a move to increase or reduce their sudden closeness.

"We should – um – go somewhere else," Tsunade muttered, a blush creeping to her cheeks.

"Where d'you wanna go?"

"Um… jus' follow me."

Tsunade took his hand, without even thinking, and led him ahead. He let her, his fingers curling over hers.

She felt a pleasurable leaping feeling in her stomach, as if Jiraiya's precious toad summons were bounding around in it.

His hand was rough and calloused, but it was warm, larger than hers, and it closed around her own comfortably.

Somehow, in their drunken state, they found themselves on the little bridge that overlooked the river. It was a quite place that night, peaceful and they'd be alone, uninterrupted.

The sound of running water and crickets chirping was the only thing that broke the tranquil silence.

Jiraiya's white hair seemed silver in the reflected moonlight.

Tsunade drunkenly wondered if this was romantic, or if he'd think she was leading him on, or if he'd try to make a move on her.

He didn't, he just leaned against the side of the bridge, his arms resting on the railings.

She imitated his position next to him, her shoulders touching his.

She noticed, from the corner of his eyes, how his muscles curved out against his sleeve, how his defined chest rose and fell with his breathing.

"Enjoying the view – princess?" Jiraiya slid his eyes over to hers, and smirked.

Tsunade blushed, rolled her eyes, but looked away.

"In your dreams," she muttered, realizing full well that Jiraiya had caught her checking him out.

"This is like…" Jiraiya began, but then trailed off, shaking his head slightly, more to himself than to her, and he resumed staring out into the water.

"Like?" Tsunade pressed him, inching slightly closer to him, so that their forearms brushed.

If he'd noticed the small, deliberate contact, he didn't shy away, or react in anyway.

"Nah, it's nothing," Jiraiya murmured, and Tsunade wondered why he was suddenly acting so distant, when she'd expected nothing but flirting.

They were alone, weren't they? They were drunk. She was sure he'd try and take advantage of that.

But he wasn't, and Tsunade was wondering why she felt disappointed.

The truth was, she wanted him to touch her. She wanted him to place his arms on her waist and give her the feeling of toad summons in her stomach. She wanted to know what it would be like, if he kissed her, just once…

Ever since their last 'almost-kiss', Tsunade had always wondered what it would be like.

Her drunken mind was directing her wants, her desires, and Tsunade didn't even pause to think, taken over by a reckless, excited feeling.

"Can't be n'thing," she slurred, "Tell me."

"…what?" Jiraiya seemed to have lost track of their conversation.

Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"You said – this was like – something…"

"Yeah," Jiraiya said after a moment, "Just this dream I had… but it's different…"

"Different how?" Tsunade prompted, allowing her hand to brush against his, which was dangling over the railing of the bridge.

She felt a little spark of electricity at that touch, and Jiraiya didn't move his hand away.

"You wouldn't want to know," Jiraiya said, smirking again.

"Think I would," she murmured, slowly, deliberately, trailing her fingers over his.

And the Jiraiya turned his head suddenly, to look at her, and his eyes were dark, and full of something she'd never seen.

She felt a thrill of anticipation, as he inhaled sharply, and then his fingers were entwined with hers, and his arm was around her waist, pulling her to him so that his lips were just centimeters from hers.

"You sure – 'bout that – princess?" he asked, his dark eyes searching hers.

Tsunade's heart was pounding, and at that moment, her inebriation, lack of physical intimacy and hormones (because face it, Jiraiya _was _good-looking) had all transformed her brain into a large puddle of want.

"Mmm…"

It wasn't exactly an affirmative, but it wasn't a negative either, and she hadn't pushed him off, and that was all Jiraiya needed.

A moment later, his lips covered hers.

Tsunade's heart gave its wildest leap yet, and Jiraiya kissed her, tenderly at first, his hand squeezing her waist gently.

And then she kissed him back, exhilaration flooding through her body, making her nerves tingle, as their lips slid against each others.

Her hands found their way to his hard chest, her nails scraping slightly against it, and it didn't take much more than that for Jiraiya to maneuver her slightly around, until her back was pressed up against the side of the bridge, and he was pressed up against her.

He was warm and hard, and Tsunade gasped slightly as he bit the bottom of her lip, and he took the opportunity to kiss her more thoroughly.

Both his hands were wrapped around her waist now, and they kissed furiously, breaking apart for air, only to dive back in once more.

And then Jiraiya made the mistake of allowing one of his wandering hands a little too low, and he cupped her bottom, his fingers curling under the hem of her short skirt.

And that sent a sudden shock through her, not entirely unpleasant, but enough to jerk her away from her drunken make-out session.

Tsunade gasped, her eyes widening as she realized what they'd just done, logic and sense beginning to ebb back to her.

"Wh-what happened?" Jiraiya was looking at her dazedly, but she didn't dare meet his eyes as she pulled away and shoved him off her, none too gently.

"Ts'nade-chan?" he asked, confused, but she just ran, as fast as she could.

She heard him calling after her, but she still ran, away from the bridge, away from him, away from the inerasable thing that had just transpired between them, attempting to pump chakra to her feet to increase her speed.

It didn't work too well, but her perfect chakra control was still passable when she was drunk, and the drunkenness was quickly fading away, perhaps out of shock.

Before she knew it, she was home. She took the window instead of the door, and the first thing she did once she was in her room was finish the entire pitcher of water that was placed on her dresser.

And then Tsunade collapsed on her bed, her eyes wide, her face flushed, and her heart still pounding as rapidly as it had been when he was kissing her.

"Fuck," she swore aloud.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Tsunade-chan! Your teammate is here!"

Tsunade sighed to herself at her mother's voice.

She knew she couldn't hide from him forever, but really, it had only been two days.

She'd been hoping for a week, at the least. Since they were Jounin, that shouldn't have been too hard.

Orochimaru, for one, she hadn't seen in the last two days either, and didn't expect to for another three. He had been given a week-long solo mission as Jounin, and had embarked upon it immediately.

Tsunade had pestered Hiruzen for one as well, sneaking over to the Hokage tower first thing in the morning, so not to bump into Jiraiya; she knew his schedule and nine-o-clock was usually his breakfast-time.

But there had been no solo Jounin missions, or missions of any kind at that moment. Orochimaru had snagged the last one, and of course the Hokage had entrusted it to him.

That was one of the few disadvantages of peacetime.

Tsunade had muttered something about favoritism, and the Hokage had offered her a solo C-rank, but she refused it, and buried herself in the library behind medical scrolls for the next two days.

And now Jiraiya had finally gotten tired of waiting and had sought her out, no doubt, to discuss what had transpired between them recently.

The drunken kiss.

That one drunken kiss that would forever taint their friendship, and Tsunade's own otherwise impeccable track record.

It was a mistake, one that couldn't be undone, and it was with a heavy heart that Tsunade eventually trudged to the front door.

"Tsunade-chan!"

His bright, beaming face only made her want to bang her head repeatedly with one of her medical textbooks.

"Jiraiya-"

"Do you want to join me for lunch?" he asked, smiling at her charmingly, "My treat!"

"I – I –" Tsunade fumbled for a few moments, wondering how she could get herself out of this, out of this entire situation.

A situation, which she knew in all honesty, she was equally to blame for.

"Come on," Jiraiya urged, "I said I'm treating!"

"I'll come," Tsunade relented after a moment, "But we're splitting the bill."

"Um – okay," Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, and Tsunade followed him out onto the street.

"So – haven't seen you around in awhile," Jiraiya said conversationally.

"It's only been two days, Jiraiya," Tsunade sighed.

"Well, considering that I usually see you and Oro-teme for almost every hour every day, that's quite awhile," Jiraiya said.

"…true," Tsunade admitted, "But I guess that's what happens once you're Jounin… you don't always stick to your old team all the time."

Jiraiya stopped suddenly, turning around to face her, his eyes narrow.

"What?" Tsunade asked defensively.

"That's not true," Jiraiya said slowly, "A lot of teams still stay together even after Jounin, and take missions together. We very well could if we wanted to, and we're going to continue training together too, Tsunade-hime."

"I thought most Jounin were put into mixed teams for missions, to you know, expand their horizons."

It wasn't a lie, but Tsunade knew as well as everyone else did, that nobody in the village was going to needlessly split Team Seven, Jounin or not. They were skilled and their teamwork was reputed. The Hokage, their own sensei, would most likely keep them as a team for joint missions, even once Jounin. He'd said so during their celebratory dinner. There was no need to break something that was working so well.

"Don't kid yourself, Tsunade-chan. We're one unit, me, you and Oro-teme. A promotion isn't going to change that," Jiraiya said.

"Well Orochimaru took a solo mission," Tsunade pointed out, "And my medical training has gotten a lot more intense-"

"Orochimaru was given the mission by sensei, he didn't go asking for it," Jiraiya snapped suddenly, before looking at her, "Unlike some people…"

"What do you mean?"

Jiraiya sighed.

"Sensei told me, Tsunade-chan. You specifically _asked _for a solo mission."

"So? What does that have to do with anything? Solo missions are prestigious!"

"I'm not stupid, princess. I know you, and you're not one to let a promotion get in the way of anything, especially Team Seven. You've been avoiding me, and we both know what it's about." Jiraiya stated bluntly.

"I – well I suppose I have," Tsunade finally admitted, not seeing the point of dodging around the topic anymore, "And about that – it never happened, Jiraiya."

"I recall that it did," Jiraiya shot back, ignoring her glare and smirking, "And if I'm not mistaken and I know I'm not, I recall you quite liking it."

"I was drunk and it was a mistake," Tsunade said monotonously, repeating the words she'd been running over in her head over the past few days, "Let's forget about it."

"Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya suddenly took her hands in his own, "How can I forget about it? After all this time, you finally – you – "

"Jiraiya!" Tsunade hissed, wrenching her hands away, "Don't do that in public!"

"You didn't seem to care before," Jiraiya pressed, "You wanted to do more than just hold hands-"

"I was drunk!"

"So was I. That's not an excuse anymore."

"It was a mistake, a slip of judgment-"

"Not the first time you've had such a 'slip' princess-"

"Well it meant _nothing_!"

"It didn't seem like it meant nothing to you, the way you were kissi-"

"Shut up!" Tsunade yelped, clenching her fists, and Jiraiya winced slightly at her sudden vehemence.

"Look, Jiraiya I –" Tsunade ground her teeth, "What do you want me to do?"

Jiraiya took a step forward, his eyes never leaving hers as he stared at her with a blazing intensity.

"I want you to admit that you felt something. I want you to stop hiding from me, and stop pretending it didn't happen. I want you to go out with me, and be my girlfriend."

He smiled at her after that, and it wasn't one of his lecherous, pervert smiles. It was a real, genuine smile, and his eyes were shining with hope.

"Jiraiya," Tsunade said softly, "Please just forget it-"

"I can't forget it," Jiraiya murmured, "Not when I've wanted – not when I've waited for _years _for this to happen. I always chased after you even though I thought you were a lost cause, but after that night – Tsunade-chan you must feel _something _for me, because otherwise, you wouldn't have-"

"No! No – it's not –"

"If you want time, if you're not ready, I understand. I can give you time, I can wait-" he continued earnestly.

"Jiraiya, stop it," Tsunade shook her head, her eyes stinging slightly, "Please stop it. Don't. Just – don't say anything."

His face was filled with so much hope, and she knew she was hurting him and she hated to be the one to wipe that beautiful smile off of his face.

But she _couldn't. _They couldn't. It wasn't possible and she wouldn't let it happen. They were teammates and they wouldn't go further than that, and that's how it should be. It would mess up team dynamics, and Orochimaru was there as well.

She told him all of this, wondering for a moment who she was trying to convince more: Jiraiya or herself.

"What does snake-boy have to do with anything?" Jiraiya asked, crossing his arms.

"When did I say it was about him?!" Tsunade retorted, wondering why he would chose to pick on that, out of everything she'd said.

"Look, if you want to take it slow, we can take it slow, if you want to keep it a secret, I'm fine with that too-"

"I don't want anything!" Tsunade shrieked, before taking a deep breath.

"Jiraiya," she said in a steely voice, "It was a mistake. I don't like you that way, and I'm sorry if I led you on. It was a drunken lapse in judgment and we should just try to forget it and move on. It's never going to happen, and I keep telling you to give up on me, there are tons of girls out there and you really should just-"

"_Don't _tell me to give up on you," Jiraiya told her, his voice just as steely, "Because I'm not going to, especially now. I knew I never had much of a chance before, but that didn't stop me from chasing you. And now, after this – I don't believe that you feel nothing, in fact, I don't believe a word you're saying. You're just trying to hold it off for some stupid, noble, feminist reason-"

"I'm not!" Tsunade cried out in frustration, "I just don't like you like that! I'm not attracted to you, I never have been and I never will be! Why don't you just get that through your thick skull?!"

Her words were harsh, and she regretted them, as Jiraiya flinched.

He whistled lowly.

"You've always known how to hit where it hurts, Tsunade-hime," he muttered, and the smile on his face had disappeared.

"I'm not going to lie to you. I don't feel any attraction or anything more than platonic, friendly affection towards you," Tsunade lied, "It was a drunken mistake and it won't happen again."

"Well, maybe you don't now," Jiraiya admitted, before he lit up again, "But that doesn't mean you never will, in the future? I can wait, and I can sure as heck _make _you like me."

"I'd like to see you try that," Tsunade snorted.

"Oh, don't worry, princess," Jiraiya winked at her, "I will."

Tsunade waited, for him to say more, before scowling at him.

"Look," Jiraiya said seriously, "I get that you don't want it, or aren't ready right now for whatever reason. If you want to stay just teammates, just friends, I'm okay with that as well."

He then placed his hands on her shoulders, and leaned down slightly, locking his eyes with hers, and Tsunade shivered, in spite of herself.

"But don't expect me to stop trying, because I can't change my feelings for you. I can, however, try to change yours, and that's what I'm going to do."

"I don't know what to do with you… you're impossible…" Tsunade said exasperatedly and looked at the ground, unable to meet his piercing gaze, "You shouldn't though. You'll only fail. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya said, shaking her slightly till she looked back up at him, "It's not your fault, that's just how I am. You said what you had to say, but despite that, I really like you. I'm never going to give up on us, because that's how I am, and that's my ninja way!"

He grinned at her broadly, and smiled back, a little sadly.

"Well, I don't know what else to say," she stated, unable to bring herself to reject him further, "Are we still on for lunch?"

"It's a date," Jiraiya agreed, winking.

"It's really not," Tsunade muttered, but followed him regardless.

Incidentally, she had forgotten her wallet, so he ended up paying for the both of them anyways. She promised she would pay him back, but he waved her off saying it wasn't necessary.

She never did end up paying him back; if there was one thing Tsunade Senju would never be particularly good at, it was paying her debts.

/\/\/\/\/\

Things with Jiraiya resumed normalcy after that; or as normal as they could get.

They maintained their 'just friends' relationship, and he didn't try anything too risky with her.

He gushed and complimented, bought her flowers a few times, showered her with love letters; and though Tsunade found it all a mix of excessive creepiness and flattery, she learned to bear with it overtime. After all, she'd gotten used to his flirting, and as long as he didn't bring up the kiss, she could ignore the rest of his shenanigans.

Orochimaru, once back from his mission, if he had noticed anything strange, or rather, stranger than usual, about his two teammates, chose not to comment on his observations. He was the same with both Jiraiya and Tsunade, and the trio continued to train together and take missions together, just as Jiraiya had said they would.

Team Seven wasn't going to fall apart, not just yet.

Tsunade often wondered if Jiraiya had told Orochimaru about what had happened between them. She didn't dare ask either one of them, but she suspected that he had. Jiraiya told Orochimaru most things, and even when he didn't, Orochimaru was usually too perceptive to not pick them up.

It bothered her, the idea of Orochimaru knowing that she and Jiraiya had kissed. Tsunade wasn't sure why, but her dark-haired teammate's opinion and approval of her were extremely important to her. She didn't want Orochimaru thinking she was some sort of drunken slut who hooked up with her teammate. She also didn't want him to think that she had feelings for Jiraiya, though she wasn't sure why the prospect of him thinking that bothered her to such an extent.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Oro-kun!" Tsunade was pleasantly surprised to run into her teammate in the Hokage's private library.

Tsunade, of course, had access to it; particularly for the scrolls regarding more complex medical ninjutsu, and she visited it almost every other day.

Neither Jiraiya nor Orochimaru, however, had ever taken much inclination in spending time there. Orochimaru usually asked Hiruzen for the scrolls he wanted, and Jiraiya had never been much of a reader.

Yet, there Orochimaru was, sitting amidst a large pile of scrolls, clearly engrossed in something.

"Tsunade-hime," Orochimaru greeted, looking up from the scroll he was reading, "I thought I may see you here."

Tsunade's heart gave a little flutter, though she chastised herself mentally. Just because he'd considered the notion of bumping into her didn't mean that he'd come especially in the hopes of meeting her and it was foolish of her to think otherwise.

Still, Tsunade hadn't really spent much time alone with Orochimaru in quite awhile, so she settled down on the couch next to him with her own scrolls, before eyeing what he was reading.

"Seals?" she asked curiously, studying the patterns on the paper.

"Seals," he responded affirmatively, his green eyes focused again on the paper.

"Why though, all of a sudden?" Tsunade asked.

"I just never appreciated how useful they could be," Orochimaru murmured, rolling his sleeves back to show the black seals he had permanently etched onto his arms; they were summoning seals for his snake-techniques.

Tsunade tore her eyes away from his toned forearm and back to the scroll.

"I thought it would be interesting to see if I could develop my own seal," Orochimaru went on, "Not for summoning anything though."

"Then for what?"

"…chakra."

"Chakra?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Sealing your own chakra, inside yourself, or another human being," Orochimaru said, "Hypothetically, it should be possible, given that the nature of sealing requires chakra, and the jinchuuriki seals are used to seal vast amounts of chakra."

"Yes, but those are used to seal entire beings composed entirely of chakra," Tsunade pointed out, "And tailed beast chakra differs from human chakra. Why would you want to do that anyway? Seal your own chakra? It makes no sense."

"I was wondering if it's possible to seal away a portion of the chakra of a living shinobi in another shinobi or object, but allow that shinobi to function and live normally at the same time. And the implications of the same; like would the chakra-source experience the same sentiments as the container? And would the container be able to use up the foreign chakra at will?"

"Why – why would you want to know that?" Tsunade asked, confused, "Why would anyone want to seal a part of themselves into another person? Or into their own body – where's the point in that?"

"Well, Tsunade-hime, why do most elite shinobi die?" Orochimaru asked.

"You're asking a medic that question," Tsunade smirked, "Do you really want the answer? It'll take hours."

"The basic answer," Orochimaru said, "Is this: they run out of chakra. They don't have enough chakra to fight back or beat an opponent, so they are defeated. They suffer from wounds, which are fatal, and their bodies cannot heal in time, and even if they could, they lack the chakra necessary to stimulate such a rapid healing process. Or, they simply die from chakra exhaustion. Most deaths, whatever their form – unless it's a clear decapitation, but you have to be a pretty low-rate shinobi to allow someone to cut through your defenses so cleanly, and in that case, you're better off dead anyways –"

Tsunade shook her head at his arrogance, but conceded that he had a point; most elite shinobi did not just die from a clean battle wound. She could safely say that she, Orochimaru and Jiraiya would not die simply from a physical injury. They wouldn't get so badly physically injured unless they had been stripped of all their other defenses and exhausted to the point where-

"They don't have enough chakra left in their bodies, to defend, to fight, to heal, to run away. A lack of chakra, at the end of the day, is what is most fatal for a shinobi in a mission or battle," Orochimaru concluded simply.

"Your point?" Tsunade asked, though she was intrigued; as a medic, she had been so caught up in the intricate causes of death, the specific damages to the human body, that she had never thought of death so simply.

"My point," Orochimaru said silkily, "Is that – if one were to have a near-endless reserve of chakra, sealed or stored in an external or internal location, which was easily accessible and could be controlled by them – they would be virtually indestructible in battle."

"Well, of course," Tsunade said, "But nobody can have – oh…"

She trailed off, looking at the scroll in his hand.

"Humans take different amounts of time to recover their chakra levels – some take days, some take weeks… but unless they have completely been driven to exhaustion, they do recover," Orochimaru said.

"So you're saying," Tsunade gasped, "That the days we're _not _using our chakra and we don't have missions-"

"If we could just store it somewhere," Orochimaru continued, "Or rather, _seal _it somewhere-"

"We could end up building a near limitless supply!" Tsunade said excitedly, "Oro-kun, that's genius!"

"I still don't know if it's possible," Orochimaru said quietly, "Theoretically it makes sense, but I much prefer the idea of sealing chakra into another living being than an object-"

"Because objects are more likely to get lost or destroyed," Tsunade nodded in understanding, "So if you could seal chakra in _yourself_-"

"You would have an immense back-up supply, available to call upon at any time," Orochimaru nodded, "Though you would have to exercise prudence regarding _when _you use it."

"Chakra seals," Tsunade muttered, "So that's what you're researching. Chakra seals… I can ask my grandmother, but I don't think it's ever actually been done before, not in the way you're suggesting."

"It hasn't," Orochimaru said, pausing for a moment, "I want to create one?"

"…create one?" Tsunade's eyes widened, "That would be _brilliant_ but – how will you do it?"

"Well, I've started by researching," Orochimaru shrugged, and Tsunade placed a hand on his arm in excitement, before realizing what she'd done.

His eyes slid up to meet hers, and Tsunade blushed for a moment. His skin was cool and smooth under her fingers, and she retracted her hand.

"Could I – could I help?" she asked, feeling a little shy.

Orochimaru smirked at her, or perhaps it was closer to a genuine smile this time.

"Of course you can, princess."

/\/\/\/\/\

Thereafter, a sort of habit developed between them, one which would last for many years. They both had a penchant for reading and researching, and they found each other's company both intellectually stimulating and enlightening.

Tsunade had a vast knowledge about the human body and anatomy, and Orochimaru was keenly interested in the same. Orochimaru, on the other had, was largely knowledgeable about a lot of things; chakra, summonings, seals, jutsu, kekkai genkai…

Tsunade found that she really enjoyed the late nights she and Orochimaru spent alone in the library, multiple times a week, either just reading scrolls in companionable silence, sitting together on that same couch that overlooked the village below; or engaging in discussions and debates over the human anatomy, chakra and whether a particularly novel idea of Orochimaru's would be anatomically and biologically possible or not.

The pair had been occupied with chakra seals for the past few months. Though Orochimaru was initially more interested in sealing one's chakra into another human being (Tsunade couldn't figure out for the life of her why), he gradually seemed to give up that idea to focus more on the idea of sealing one's chakra into oneself, something Tsunade herself was particularly keen on.

She could just imagine how helpful having backup chakra reserves would be, when she was healing people.

After a point in time, Orochimaru even began accompanying her to the hospital and the labs, which she frequented often; either for testing samples of blood or human tissues, or for some other medical reason. Tsunade enjoyed his company, not only because she was flattered that he spent so much time with her alone on a weekly basis, but also because he was extremely interesting to talk to.

Though some of his ideas were radical and made her laugh, she could tell that he had a brilliant mind. And he benefitted from her medical knowledge as well. In fact, Tsunade was the one who gradually began to teach him the workings of the human body. He would watch her intently as she dissected the bodies of patients during surgeries, or conducted autopsies on corpses. He even asked her if she could teach him, and Tsunade was more than happy how to teach him the handling of various medical weapons, and the other scientific equipment she used in the lab. He'd be a great scientist one day, she knew it… and she would be proud to have been the one who had taught him at the start.

He was naturally gifted and a quick learner, and he picked it all up very quickly. One day she even let him conduct one of the autopsies, when she was sure nobody else was around. He had some sort of sick and inexplicable fascination with dead bodies, and she shied away from them, autopsies being her most unpleasant task as a medic. Thus, she was more than happy to supervise him as he fulfilled her duties. Of course, he pulled it off flawlessly.

"You'd make an excellent medic," Tsunade remarked, and Orochimaru smirked at her in a way that made her heart flutter.

"I have an excellent teacher," he said smoothly.

She turned red at this, and turned around to pick up a blood sample, which she started fidgeting with to make it seem like she was doing something other than inwardly swooning at his praise.

Seconds later, she felt him behind her, his chest brushing against her back, and the test tube slipped out of her hands.

She flailed for a moment, but he was quicker than her, and his arm reached around her, his fingers closing over the test tube at the same time as hers.

Tsunade breathed in sharply, and it felt like she'd been momentarily electrocuted where his fingers had touched hers.

"Careful princess," he murmured, and she could feel his breath on her ear – he was standing _way _too close, "Don't want to spill any unnecessary blood."

And then his cool fingers retracted, and he leaned around her to grab a syringe, before he was back at the surgery table, leaving her wondering if she'd imagined it all.

She could never tell with Orochimaru, whether things were deliberate or coincidental.

And for her, that was the greatest part of the thrill.

/\/\/\/\/\

Though she had been spending a lot more time alone with Orochimaru, Tsunade could not say the same about Jiraiya. Through the months, he continued bombarding her with date requests, all of which she turned down on principle.

It didn't seem to discourage him; if anything, Jiraiya was convinced that she was playing 'hard-to-get', and only incensed by the idea of a challenge.

Though Tsunade knew that Jiraiya divulged most of his personal life with Orochimaru, she had a hunch that Orochimaru didn't do the same. As far as she knew, Jiraiya was completely unaware about the study-sessions his other two teammates spent in the library, or at the lab. Technically, neither had a reason to tell him, since they weren't doing anything wrong, just researching, and science and anatomy had never been Jiraiya's interests. But a part of Tsunade was still strangely gleeful at the prospect that she and Orochimaru shared a secret – however stupid and pointless that secret was – which nobody else (unless you counted the various other medics who had seen the two together) knew about.

Another part of her felt bad, as if she was hiding something from her teammate. But then, what was there to hide? It's not like she and Orochimaru were hooking up, though _that _very notion made her blush uncontrollably.

Besides, they met Jiraiya every day – for lunch, for dinner, for physical training, and for missions. The only thing Tsunade deliberately avoided were romantic dates – and, once the months rolled by, birthdays.

Since they had pretty much been given the permission to drink by Hiruzen, Tsunade knew that the next few birthday dinners would not be without alcohol.

And her last two experiences with alcohol told her that it was _not _a beverage she should combine with the company of her teammates, especially in her currently muddled and often treacherous state of mind.

So Tsunade make it a point to scrounge for missions starting end-July, and she managed to procure a solo mission the day before her 17th birthday. Jiraiya had been disappointed that they wouldn't be able to celebrate and Orochimaru had been neutral. Tsunade, however, was relieved. She _knew _what would happen if she went out to celebrate with her teammates, and she was _not _getting drunk around either of them.

Nawaki had whined endlessly that she wouldn't be home for her own birthday, but she promised to take him and Kushina for a treat after she came back.

Jiraiya had seen her off the morning of her birthday mission with a box of chocolates and a love-letter, the latter filled with the usual gushing junk.

Tsunade thanked him, hugged him quickly and shot off.

She had been a tiny bit disappointed that Orochimaru hadn't wished her on her birthday; but he had never been the overly sentimental type, and to be fair, he'd known that she had an early morning mission and she knew it would be ridiculous for him to see her off.

They were shinobi and solo missions were protocol and a part of their lives.

Tsunade managed to evade Orochimaru's birthday as well, by pulling an all-nighter in the emergency room of the hospital. She fed her teammates a lie about some kind of a plague break-out, and assuaged her own guilt by telling herself that fixing up injured and sick patients was far more virtuous then getting sloshed with her teammates, so even if she had to lie to do it, it was acceptable.

Jiraiya had been disappointed, but Orochimaru didn't seem to care that much about celebrating his own birthday anyways.

However, when Jiraiya's birthday rolled around, he had insisted, a week in advance, that Tsunade keep herself free, because "we haven't had a team-bonding night in weeks, so fuck it all, we're going drinking!"

She knew that he knew that she had been avoiding drinking with them, the little bastard. Tsunade smiled and agreed, though the moment he'd turned his back, she was cursing under her breath and wondering how she'd worm her way out of this one.

Fortunately for her, an hour before their scheduled dinner-and-drinking plan, the three of them, along with the other Jounin of the village, had received urgent summonings to the Hokage tower.

"Well happy birthday to me," Jiraiya said glumly, as the trio met up and made their way over the rooftops, "It better not be a stupid boring political mission he's deploying us on!"

"Do you think it could be about the Jounin sensei?" Orochimaru asked, "A batch of genin is graduating tomorrow."

"Oh god, that'll be even worse if it is," Jiraiya groaned, "Imagine that, having to babysit a group of brats! I have much better things I could waste my time with…"

"Like what, exactly?" Orochimaru asked, amused.

"Like writing my book, for instance," Jiraiya said.

"Don't tell me you still haven't given up on that!" Tsunade said, exasperated, and Orochimaru smirked.

"Oh, come on Tsunade-hime, _you _of all people should know that I _never _give up on what I want," Jiraiya said, winking at her.

Tsunade ignored this and stared ahead resolutely.

"Besides, I actually have a pretty good story now, considering our last few missions have been pretty badass!"

"_I _personally wouldn't mind if it's about the next generation of graduates," Orochimaru said, "I've always wanted a student to carry on my legacy…"

"Please, you're too creepy to be around kids," Jiraiya rolled his eyes, "And your jutsu should be kept to yourself, not passed onto some unsuspecting little genin!"

"Oh, shut up," Orochimaru hissed, "My jutsu are perfectly legitimate and-"

"Though speaking of legacy," Jiraiya went on, cutting him off, "I am, apparently supposed to have an extraordinary pupil one day, and apparently that pupil is going to change the world!"

"Not again," Orochimaru rolled his eyes.

"I will!" Jiraiya cried, "Just not yet! I don't think I'm ready yet, for that kind of responsibility. I still need a year or two."

"Apparently?" Tsunade asked, still confused about his earlier statements.

"Meaning the toads said it," Orochimaru explained, "As usual. All the great achievements in Jiraiya's life, his books, his legacy… it's all frog-speak-"

"I'll have you know that the great toad elder-"

"Wait, wait, I knew about the books, what's this thing about a pupil?" Tsunade asked.

"It's his latest obsession," Orochimaru supplied, "His star student that will change the world… haven't you heard it, he doesn't stop talking about it-"

Tsunade figured she had heard it a few times, but she tended to ignore most of what Jiraiya said when he began his jabbering about prophecies. That, and the fact that she had sort of been avoiding him, something which Jiraiya chose to pick up on.

"Oh, Tsunade-chan doesn't really talk to me anymore," he said dramatically, "That's why you would know and she wouldn't, teme…"

"Indeed," Orochimaru nodded.

"Anyways, impending future great student or not, let's hope they don't assign you this year," Tsunade said, "Kushina isn't graduating till next year, and she seems pretty keen on having you as her Jounin sensei, Jiraiya."

"Oh, that adorable little brat," Jiraiya said fondly, "I'd rather take an ANBU suicide mission than be assigned with _her. _She'll drive me mad."

Tsunade could tell he was joking. Jiraiya and Kushina shared some sort of a love-hate relationship, and she knew her teammate had a soft spot for the redheaded spitfire and would be more than happy to be her sensei. Though, a combination that volatile could cause problems in missions, since Kushina tended to bring out the more childish side of Jiraiya, and the pair was always arguing or scuffling about something or the other. Hiruzen would certainly keep that in mind, if he ever were to assign Jiraiya to Kushina's graduating batch.

"Nawaki, on the other hand," Tsunade said, turning to her other teammate, "Seems to adore you, though I'm not sure why."

"I'd be honored to have more Senju royalty on my team," Orochimaru said, smirking.

/\/\/\/\/\

When they reached office, however, they quickly realized that they had not been summoned for genin teams. The atmosphere of the room seemed tense, and Hiruzen looked grim as he addressed the gathered Jounin and ANBU.

"This is going to be extremely shocking for a lot of you, as it was for me a few minutes ago when I found out," Hiruzen said slowly, "It's sudden and we're still unsure what prompted this, but the fact is inevitable, and the scroll I received was frightfully clear on the matter. To put it shortly – war has been declared."

Tsunade's stomach plummeted terribly, and the entire room erupted into chaotic, frantic voices.

She looked desperately to her teammates, meeting their stunned stares.

"War," Jiraiya shook his head, smacking his forehead, "Happy birthday indeed…"

/\/\/\/\/\

They hadn't had a war in years, and things had seemed so peaceful after the first war. This had come without warning, without any rumors, without any apparent reason.

Tsunade's stomach churned as memories of the first war flitted back to her. Memories of waiting in fear, as her parents and family and sensei fought out on the front lines… except this time, it would be her, joining the fighting. She would be a part of the war, along with her team.

She remembered her grandfather, and her great-uncle, and the bodies wrapped in white shrouds.

The first war had taken the lives of those closest and dearest to her, and Tsunade went cold at the idea of that happening again. What if something happened to one of _them _out on the frontlines? What if something happened to Jiraiya or Orochimaru? Tsunade couldn't bear the thought.

One thing was for certain – she would have _much _rather been mindlessly drunk at this point, even if it meant the risk of awkward moments with Jiraiya – than face _this. _

/\/\/\/\/\

"We're being deployed to Sand," Jiraiya muttered, his eyes scanning over the contents of their latest mission scroll, "It's pretty much an outright war mission. Provide backup to troops already stationed there, kill the Sunagakure forces and any enemy shinobi, force retreat…"

"I'm assuming this isn't an exclusive mission," Orochimaru stated.

"Yeah… our team, four other Jounin teams, five ANBU squads…" Jiraiya read over the list.

"We're just going for backup though, right?" Tsunade asked, "If there are already troops there?"

"Why would there already be troops?" Jiraiya mused aloud, "Sensei wasn't very explicit regarding the motive behind this war, and it seems rather sudden."

"I don't remember sensei mentioning any reports of hostility from Suna," Tsunade admitted, "Though perhaps it was classified information. Still, the last time we were at war, I remember feeling the tension, even though we were just kids. This seems rather sudden."

"The entire thing sounds sketchy to me, including the way he said it… 'war has been declared'… I mean, just say that Suna declared war on us," Jiraiya muttered, before pausing and looking at his teammates shrewdly, "Do you think – maybe – Konoha started this war?"

The three were silent for a moment, pondering this.

"We should ask sensei," Tsunade said, "I'm sure there's a reason, he's usually so diplomatic."

"I need to know what the hell I'm fighting for exactly," Jiraiya nodded vehemently.

"You're fighting for Konoha, your village," Orochimaru cut in silkily, finally speaking up, "Sensei is too busy and it would be out of protocol to question the motives behind this war, and who started it. I'm sure there's an adequate explanation, but the fact remains, right now Konoha is at war. And as its shinobi, it is our duty to defend it regardless, no questions asked."

"But-"

"He's right," Tsunade placed a placating hand on Jiraiya's shoulder, "We have to complete this mission and we have to restrain Suna. It doesn't matter who started it or why, all that matters is that we have to end it as soon as possible, before it escalates into something bigger."

"Tsunade-chan," Jiraiya began, but she shook her head at him, steeling her resolve.

"I dislike war as much as you do, Jiraiya," she said, "And I have my doubts. But we're Jounin now, and we've been given a mission. This war, this conflict, whatever is happening with Suna; it's our responsibility."

/\/\/\/\/\

"Onee-chan! Where are you going?"

Tsunade whirled around, meeting wide golden eyes.

"Nawaki…"

The young boy eyed her green vest and her arm guards, as well as the large pack she was currently stocking with herbs, medicines, medical tools and scrolls.

"You're leaving aren't you?" he asked sulkily, "On a long mission."

"I am," Tsunade paused in her packing to survey him.

Nawaki clenched his fists.

"It's a war mission, isn't it?"

"How do you-"

"Everyone knows at the Academy. We're at war with Suna, though they won't tell us why."

"I'm not sure of the reason either," Tsunade offered, seeing the questioning look in his eyes.

"I don't care," Nawaki shrugged finally, "Whatever the reason is, it's stupid. War is stupid."

Tsunade wasn't sure what to say to this, so she opened her arms, nodding to him, and he scrambled onto her lap, burying his face in her hair.

"When will you be back?" he mumbled into her neck.

"…I can't say."

"They shouldn't send you. You're not that big yet. You're just seventeen."

"I'm a Jounin," Tsunade sighed, "Besides, Jiraiya and Orochimaru are coming too."

"So what if you're all Jounin? None of you is that big yet."

"Rank counts more than age for shinobi, Nawaki. This is what happens in war," Tsunade said sadly, "I just wish you didn't have to see it."

Nawaki pressed closer to her, and she patted his head.

When he pulled away, his eyes were wet.

"Nawaki," Tsunade said soothingly, "It'll be okay, I promise. I was about your age during the first war, and it was scary, but everything worked out alright in the end."

"No it didn't!" Nawaki objected, "Ojii-san died!"

Tsunade breathed in sharply.

"What if –" Nawaki broke off, rubbing his eyes with his little fists, "Tsunade-onee-chan – you better not die on this mission!"

"Nawaki-" Tsunade's stomach lurched, because he had said just the thing that had been worrying her.

This was her first war mission, and though Team Seven had faced and conquered worse enemies and completed an S-rank mission – war was different.

War was brutal and war couldn't end with escape. War took a lot more lives and it only ended when all of one side was dead.

Tsunade just hoped that it wouldn't be Konoha.

"Don't die!" Nawaki pointed at her accusingly, "You can't die, onee-chan!"

"I – I won't," Tsunade said shakily, hugging her to him tightly.

"Promise!" he demanded.

"I – I can't-"

"Promise!" Nawaki insisted, looking up at her imploringly, "You have to come back!"

"Otouto…"

"And take me for ramen when you do," he added as an afterthought, "Kushina-chan too. It's been awhile since you treated us."

Tsunade leaned down, placing a kiss on his head.

"Alright. I promise," she whispered into his light brown locks.

/\/\/\/\/\

The teams made their way swiftly to Suna, and as they flitted through the thinning forest, Tsunade noted that the tone of this mission was a lot grimmer than what she was used to.

On team missions, by now, Jiraiya and Orochimaru would have already gotten into multiple tussles or arguments. But this time – this time they were too silent and serious.

It made her uncomfortable.

She forged on ahead.

Any time now, and the forest would end, and give way to endless plains of sand, golden sand.

Golden sand that would soon be drenched with crimson blood.

Tsunade's eyes flicking over to her teammates. Jiraiya's façade was stony and his lips were drawn into a thin line. It was a shocking change from his usual jovial, joking manner.

Orochimaru looked a lot more relaxed as he moved through the trees fluidly, though his green eyes had hardened to emerald stones.

Tsunade gulped, and bit her lip.

A few minutes later, she felt something brush her side.

She turned slightly, locking her eyes with Jiraiya's dark ones.

"It's going to be okay," he murmured, as if sensing her great unease, "We had worse odds with Kinkaku and Ginkaku, and we made it out then. We're Jounin now, and we're Team Seven. We can do this. Those Suna nin don't stand a chance."

Despite the facts that she knew his words were just reassurances meant to make her feel better, Tsunade's heart lifted slightly, and she nodded.

:::::

The battleground was a mess.

A large expanse of bloodied sand and fallen bodies, the sounds of weapon clashing and cries rending the air, along with a strange chattering noise.

Tsunade couldn't see exactly what was happening, due to the large clouds of sand that obscured most of the fighting shinobi, but there seemed to be an alarming number of ninja engaged, from what she could make out of the shadowy shapes.

The Konoha shinobi looked weary, and immensely relieved to see the backup. A group of them were hiding in a makeshift dugout behind one of the sand dunes, a couple hundred meters away from where the rest of their companions were engaged in fighting.

"Thank Kami," one of them gasped, eyeing Team Seven none-too-subtly, "They sent _you_."

"What's happening?" Jiraiya asked, crouching behind one of the sand dunes.

"We're _vastly _outnumbered," the shinobi gasped, clutching at a wound at his side, blood seeping through his fingers.

"Here," Tsunade said quickly, dropping to her knees beside him and pulling out her medical kit, "I'll take care of that."

"Th-thank you," the man rasped, as she healed his wounds with her glowing chakra.

"How outnumbered?" Jiraiya asked, "The scroll said there were fifty of them versus thirty of you, and we have thirty more here in backup."

"Only ten of our thirty are left," another shinobi added sadly, "And even with backup – they're still at about two or three hundred…

"Two or three _hundred_!" one of the shinobi hissed, and then swore.

"But how-" Tsunade began, before freezing, as the strange chattering noise suddenly seemed painfully familiar.

She remembered hearing that, that same eerie noise, many years ago, when she'd been a mere genin fighting against –

"Puppets," Tsunade muttered, "Damn. They're using puppets."

"Of course," Orochimaru said softly, "Suna's specialty jutsu. Puppets cannot feel pain or die, and they can fight on endlessly until they are completely destroyed. The worst opponent in a war…"

"They have a fucking puppet army," the shinobi Tsunade had healed muttered, "Hundreds of them. We attack them and destroy them, but more just keep popping up, and we'd target the puppeteers but we can't even get passed the damned puppets!"

"Their weapons are coated in poison," another man added, "Some mysterious poison for which we have no antidote. Most of our shinobi casualties succumbed to it, that's why they died."

"Show me," Tsunade said quickly, "The poison, let me see it."

"Tsunade-san," the shinobi said, "Mito-sama had provided us with almost every antidote available, there is nothing for this one."

"Bleed it out then," Tsunade said roughly.

"It spreads too fast through the bloodstream. Attempting to get rid of all of it would be suicidal."

Tsunade grit her teeth, her eyes flicking over to the cloud of sand.

She wondered if her opponent from the Chuunin exams, Chiyo, was out there, fighting.

The girl had been incredibly talented, even though Tsunade had defeated her.

Still, if she could do it once, she would do it again, mysterious, undiscovered, lethal poison be damned.

"You'll have to go in," she muttered, before nodding at Jiraiya and Orochimaru, "You've seen them fight, you know what to do."

Her teammates nodded, and Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.

"You're staying back?" he asked.

"Yes," Tsunade affirmed, "I don't care if it's undiscovered, every poison has a counter, and I'm going to find the antidote."

"We shall cover for you," one of the ANBU said immediately, "You will need defences if you are busy. Two ANBU are enough."

"I can freaking defend myse-" Tsunade began, but Jiraiya cut her off and nodded at the ANBU.

"That will be necessary. We can't risk losing our medic-nin right now."

Tsunade glared at him, and he glared back this time, and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Fine! But somebody bring me back a body, _quick,_" Tsunade ordered, "One that's been poisoned. And send any of the injured here, as soon as possible!"

The Jounin and ANBU squads readied their weapon and made to join to foray.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru paused for a moment, their eyes meeting hers.

"Take care," Jiraiya said, "And don't worry about us. We'll be back soon enough."

"I should be telling you that," Tsunade huffed, "Don't do anything reckless, either of you. And if you dare show up here injured or half-dead, I will break both your legs before I heal you."

They both smirked at her threat, and then Jiraiya thumped her on the shoulder, and Orochimaru's hand just barely brushed over the top of her head, and they were gone.

Moments later, a Konoha shinobi entered the dugout, carrying a limp body, which he dropped in front of her.

"I'll go back," he panted, and Tsunade nodded, her eyes quickly scanning over his form for any life-threatening injuries.

There were none, and she let him go, before surveying the corpse before her.

Despite her intensive medial training and experience with poisoned bodies, Tsunade couldn't help but be repulsed.

The man's face was bloated, mottled and purple, and there were strange orange streaks branching under his skin.

The external symptoms were definitely something she hadn't seen and couldn't identify, though she had expected that.

Biting back her disgust, Tsunade picked up her medical tools and began dissecting the body.

/\/\/\/\/\

The last remnants of the evening faded away into pitch darkness, and the dank hideout was lit by nothing but a small fire jutsu.

Tsunade didn't know how long she worked inside the small dugout, as the battle raged a few hundred meters away, extending through the night.

Minutes stretched into hours, and she worked painstakingly at the body, first extracting the poison, and then analyzing it, scrawling notes onto a small pad of paper.

She could hear the sounds of pained cries, the whirling of sand, the noises of various jutsu, and above all, that terrible, abrasive wooden chattering.

It just didn't seem to stop, and from the intensity of it, Tsunade could only guess that the puppet army had increased, rather than decreased in size.

Still, the shinobi stationed outside her dugout had remained calm, and Tsunade worked away, trying not to think too much about her teammates and how they were faring.

Neither one of them had come to be healed yet, which was reassuring. She had healed over twenty-five men, all of whom had dragged themselves into her dugout, in various states of injury and near-death.

An ANBU had reported five more deaths, but Jiraiya and Orochimaru were not among them. Apparently the shinobi were being extra cautious around the puppets, making sure they weren't hit by the poison. Tsunade guessed this was one of the main reasons the size of the puppet army wasn't decreasing.

It wouldn't, Tsunade realized, unless she found a counter to the poison, a way to make the shinobi immune against the deadly liquid. It was an quick, incurable killer, that poison, and if she didn't find a counter fast, it was only a matter of time before five more shinobi succumbed, and then ten, and then the entire force as they were overpowered by those damned puppets.

The outcome of that battle, she realized, relied heavily on her ability to counter this impossible poison, and gritting her teeth, Tsunade returned to her work, determination firing through her veins.

She had to do this.

The only other option was death.

Death of the Konoha shinobi, death of her precious teammates – something she didn't even dare think about lest it drove her mad - and eventually, once they had all been overpowered, her own death.

Besides, she had a promise to keep to Nawaki, and even if it had been a hollow promise, Tsunade did not intend to break it.

/\/\/\/\/\

It was still pitch black outside when Jiraiya heaved himself into the dugout, panting heavily.

Tsunade snapped up from her work, immediately sensing his chakra.

"What happened?" she asked sharply, as he collapsed on the sand.

"Leg – fucked –" he grunted, and under the candlelight, she noted he was unusually pale.

"Damnit, Jiraiya!" she yelled, immediately attending to his mangled, bloody leg, repairing the severed muscles.

To her relief, he wasn't poisoned, though his leg was pretty badly messed up. He hissed out in pain, and she looked at him apologetically.

"I don't want to give you painkillers," she said, "They'll make you drowsy and slow."

"So – I'll be able – to get back on?" he asked, his face screwing in pain as she extracted the wooden splinters from his flesh.

"It'll be sore, but mostly," Tsunade muttered, "You're lucky I'm here, there's no way you could have fought with a leg like that."

"Mm, yeah," his fingers brushed against her cheek, "What would I do without you?"

Tsunade pretended not to notice, and he didn't make any further move, and she quickly began stitching back his skin, her hands glowing with chakra to supplement the process.

"How's everything outside?" she asked.

"Not great. We took down over a hundred, but they seem to have a hundred more, and the best way of destroying the puppets is smashing them with taijutsu close-range because they're resistant to most elemental ninjutsu. But no one's willing to get in close because of the poison, so we're limited to long range. Orochimaru tried using his snake summons, but even they weren't immune to the poison, and I'm not risking Gama and the rest."

"Hm," Tsunade nodded, now bandaging his leg.

She patted it lightly then, looking at him.

"You're good, I think."

He stood up gingerly, testing his leg, and winced.

"I can't give you painkillers," she began, but he shook his head.

"I'm fine," Jiraiya said shortly, "I'll head out now."

His eyes flickered to the antidote she was working on, and she answered the unasked question.

"I'm trying," she said, "I _really _am. I _know _how important it is, but it's not working on the corpse I'm testing it on, and I know I'm close but I'm lacking something, a vital ingredient, but I've tried and tested _everything _and I still can't tell what –"

"You can do it," he cut off her ramble, "I have faith in you."

And then he was gone.

/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade cursed, pulling the syringe out of the corpse.

The antidote _still _wasn't working on the poison. She had dissected it and analyzed it and broken it down and tested it. Though it had been a near-impossible task, she had succeeded, and she'd created the perfect antidote.

Medically and scientifically, there was no explanation to why it shouldn't work. Her antidote should have countered the poison perfectly.

But still, seven more shinobi had died, and the hours had dragged on, and she wasn't getting any results. Her antidote, though it seemed perfect on paper, just wasn't working.

"Damnit," Tsunade said again, her eyes scanning over her formulae, searching for a mistake, a miscalculation.

But everything was perfect – just as she'd expected it.

"Shit," she cursed again, clenching her fists and accidentally breaking the syringe in the process.

The glass dug into her hands, drawing blood, but Tsunade just cursed again, before wrenching the shards out of her hand, ignoring the stinging pain.

She didn't bother to heal herself, the blood dripping down to her wrists as she stared at the apparatus before her, wondering _what _could possibly be missing.

The first few streaks of daylight were streaming into the dugout. She had been working for hours, as her comrades battled outside.

It just didn't stop.

"So this is war," she muttered, quickly wrapping up her bleeding hand, deciding there was no point wasting chakra on it.

Then suddenly, she sensed them, and her heart plummeted, because that ever-familiar chakra signature was spiking up and down and wavering and-

"Orochimaru!" Tsunade shrieked, as her two teammates stumbled into the hideout.

Jiraiya was covered in scratches and cuts, but he was hardly the problem. He was supporting a faint-looking Orochimaru, whose arm was draped around his shoulder.

A mottled, purplish arm tinged with orange streaks.

"He – he's been-" Jiraiya croaked.

"Poisoned!" Tsunade cried, "No!"

Her heart jolted as she took in the sight of her poisoned teammate, felt his weakening chakra signature. His green eyes were only half-open and he seemed dazed, and the purplish tinge was slowly but steadily inching up his forearm.

He would be dead within minutes.

"The antidote," Jiraiya rasped, but Tsunade shook her head, tears filling her eyes.

"I've tried everything!" she cried hysterically, "It doesn't work and – Orochimaru! What do we do with him?!"

"My – arm," Orochimaru breathed, his voice barely above a whisper, "Cut it – off before – it spreads…"

His fingers twitched and he raised his good arm, his gleaming katana shaking in his hand.

"N-no," Tsunade shook her head, "Your arm – you can't – how will you _fight? _How will you do ninjutsu?!"

"Hurry," Orochimaru muttered, looking weakly to Jiraiya, "Bastard – do it."

Jiraiya took the blade from Orochimaru, staring at his teammate.

The poison had spread past his elbow, and Orochimaru was shaking violently now.

"Tsunade-hime – we'll have to amputate," Jiraiya was saying, "Oro-teme told me to then – but I had to bring him here – you can do it properly, you're a medic – there's no other way – he'll die!"

His words pierced her like kunai, and Tsunade stared at her teammates, feeling lightheaded.

If only she had managed to make the antidote work!

"But – but his dream – ninjutsu – " she muttered, "We can't – the antidote – "

"Tsunade-hime – do it – fast – please -" Orochimaru gasped, choking out blood.

The poison had now nearly reached his shoulder.

She stared at him, looking so defeated and lifeless, such a contrast from his usual strong and arrogant self – and it pained her, deep in her heart.

She wouldn't let this happen, not to Orochimaru, not to her teammate, not to one of the most important people in her life, she wouldn't…

And then suddenly, it hit her.

The missing ingredient, the one possible thing that the antidote may have lacked which was impeding its abilities to wipe out the poison.

"Orochimaru – quick – your good arm," she muttered, grabbing his pale hand.

"What are you doing?!" Jiraiya asked, "We have to amputate him _now_! Before it spreads to his shoulder!"

Tsunade said nothing, just swiped off a bit of his skin with a kunai, drawing blood.

Orochimaru looked on the verge of collapse.

Tsunade flew back to where she had kept a batch of her antidote, and quickly filled a test tube with it, adding the skin.

"Attacks the DNA – of course – skin cells – this should do," she was muttering to herself as she shook the syringe, adding a few more chemicals.

"Tsunade!" Jiraiya called urgently, and Orochimaru had now collapsed on the floor, the poison spreading to his shoulder.

Jiraiya raised the katana, making to cut Orochimaru's arm off himself, but Tsunade shoved him to the side.

"WHAT THE HELL-"

Tsunade grasped Orochimaru's poisoned arm, and plunged the syringe deep into his vein.

Jiraiya gaped at her in shock, scrambling to his feet and joining her by Orochimaru's side.

The pale shinobi shuddered violently, and then collapsed, his green eyes fluttering shut.

"What did you do?!" Jiraiya shouted, "Did it work?!"

Tsunade stared intently at her teammate's arms, monitoring the poison.

It had to work, it _had _to – there was no other option…

And then she smiled.

She turned to Jiraiya, who was staring at Orochimaru with an anguished expression on his face, and patted him on the arm reassuringly.

"What?!" Jiraiya snapped, and Tsunade said nothing, but pointed to Orochimaru's arm.

The purplish tinge was receding, and the orange streaks were fading away.

Jiraiya's eyes grew wide, and he knitted his brows together.

"So – he's –"

"He's going to be okay," Tsunade whispered, and Jiraiya broke into a grin.

"Bastard really scared me," he muttered, before patting Tsunade's hand.

"I'm sorry I freaked out before, but I knew you could do it. You're incredible."

She flushed.

"Thanks," she said, before turning to Orochimaru and checking his vitals.

"He's going to come around, though it'll take a couple hours," she said, "I figured out the antidote, but it's going to have to be personalized in a sense. I need DNA, from every shinobi out there. We may as well inject you all with it so that you're immune to the puppets and can fight them properly."

"Right," Jiraiya nodded, rolling up his sleeve and offering her his arm.

She quickly swiped off a bit of his skin, prepared his dose of the antidote, and tossed him the syringe, which he stabbed into his arm without flinching.

"Send the shinobi back in batches," Tsunade said, "I'll administer it to them all, and once Orochimaru's back up, we'll join you."

Jiraiya nodded quickly, and with one last glance at their fainted teammate, he was out.

/\/\/\/\/\

Within the next hour, Tsunade had immunized every single shinobi, including herself, against the poison.

The battle seemed to turn in Konoha's favor thereafter, as the explosive cries of the reinvigorated Konoha shinobi filled the air. The fighting had gotten a lot louder at that point, and Tsunade guessed, more close-range.

She quickly repacked her medical kit, summoning a small slug.

"This is a list of instructions on how to prepare the antidote against Suna's poisons," Tsunade muttered, giving the slug a tightly wrapped scroll, "Get this to my grandmother as soon as possible. I don't know how many Suna contingents there are fighting, but we'll need this antidote to win the war."

"Hai Tsunade-sama," the slug said in response, before disappearing with a poof.

On the ground beside her, Orochimaru stirred.

"You're awake!" Tsunade exclaimed, as his eyes slowly opened.

"What – my arm –" he jerked his head to the side, green eyes widening slightly.

"We didn't have to amputate," Tsunade said breathlessly, unable to keep the smile from her face, "I – I figured out the antidote. The poison's been neutralized. You were out for a while, but you're fine now. I've administered it to all the other shinobi as well, to immunize them."

He slowly sat up, blinking a few times, and testing his arm, which was as good as new.

Tsunade watched him anxiously, her heart beating rapidly.

She didn't know why she felt so excited, or what she was expecting, but she knew she wanted something from him. Some recognition of her talents, of what she'd done for him, some act of thanks.

She had always looked up to Orochimaru and had wanted to impress him, and if anything, saving his career as a ninja (she had already saved his life once, a few years ago) had to do the trick…

He flexed his muscles experimentally, and she tried not to blush, and then he finally met her eyes.

"So you figured it out."

His voice was soft, smooth, like water slipping over rocks.

"Yeah. Just in time," Tsunade said shakily.

"I suppose I should thank you," he murmured, "Yet again, you've…"

He trailed off and she waited, attentively, silently urging him to say more.

She remembered the last time, when she'd saved her life, and the way he'd looked at her so intently, his fingertips brushing her cheek.

_"You're special," he said._

He didn't say anything now, just picked up his fallen katana and sheathed it, before standing up in one fluid movement.

Tsunade stood up as well.

"That girl you fought in the genin exams, Chiyo was it?" he asked.

"She's out there, isn't she?"

"She's controlling ten puppets, all at once, and they're all lethal."

"Not so lethal if their poison is useless," she scoffed, not at all liking the idea of him being impressed or even vaguely appreciative of another kunoichi's abilities.

"You've beaten her before," he fixed his gaze on her, "And it's the second time you've found a way around her poison."

"True, but -" Tsunade broke off, suddenly feeling shy.

"But?"

She looked up at him, fighting a blush.

"I couldn't figure out the antidote, for hours, you know," she admitted.

"You did eventually."

"That's because – I just didn't want to lose you," she said softly, "I don't know why, but that's when it hit me – and I had to do something – I just couldn't lose you."

She wondered if he'd realized that. Over the years, most of her medical innovations had stemmed out of a desperation to save him, save his life. Even during that fateful S-rank mission years ago, when she'd come up with the idea about chakra clamps and whatnot… it had all been for him…

He didn't respond, just stared at her unblinkingly, his eyes slightly narrow, but his face otherwise blank.

"You're really important to me, and I don't know what I'd do if you – if anything happened to you," Tsunade said softly, taking a small step forward.

She bit her lip, her cheeks flaming.

She'd never revealed that much to him, never before.

She'd never been that explicit about her feelings to anyone.

She took another step forward, mustering her courage, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing him to her for a moment.

He stiffened, but she hugged him regardless, waiting for the moment when he would return the embrace, maybe wrap his own arms around her waist.

He didn't though, and she pulled away rather quickly after that, her stomach flipping unpleasantly.

He surveyed her with a thoughtful expression, and Tsunade wanted to kick herself.

She'd given too much away, far too much.

"We have a war to fight, princess," he finally said, his voice silky as ever.

She glared at him now, her golden eyes bright.

_I freaking saved your life, _she wanted to shriek, _is that all you can say? All you can do?! Can't you thank me properly?!_

She knew what she had wanted – what she _really _wanted – was perhaps asking too much of him. He would never do that, she knew he wouldn't but still – she couldn't help but hope and it hurt when he didn't do what she had hoped he would.

"What's the matter?" he asked, acknowledging the fact that she was now openly glaring at him.

"I saved your life," she spat, before she could stop herself.

His hand cupped her cheek then, his thumb brushing against the skin lightly, and her heart nearly stopped.

"And for that I will be eternally gratefully," he breathed.

They were standing close, and she found herself leaning in slightly, into his touch, and towards _him, _but then he retracted his hand and moved so swiftly that in less than a moment he was standing atop the dugout, poised to fight.

He peered back over his shoulder, where she was standing rigidly, and raised an eyebrow.

Tsunade stuffed her hands into her pocket to stop herself from reaching up to touch her cheek, and glowered ahead for a moment, her heart sinking.

She supposed that had been a rejection, because _surely _Orochimaru had noticed her leaning forward, he was so perceptive and he could pick up even the subtlest of movements – but then he'd touched her cheek so tenderly and that certainly hadn't seemed platonic, not to her at least.

_So fucking confusing! _she grumbled to herself, feeling rather aggravated and uneasy as she hopped out of the hideout to join him.

There wasn't time to ponder what had just passed between them though.

Ahead, Tsunade could make out the battle that raged within the whirling sand. There were countless small figures flying everywhere, chattering and clashing – the puppets.

Tsunade grit her teeth in frustration, feeling a sudden surge to punch something, _hard, _though she was sure some of it had to do more with the shinobi standing beside her than the enemy shinobi and their blasted puppets.

"Chiyo you said?" she ground out, eager to vent her anger on something, _someone_.

"Hn."

"Come on then," she growled, gathering chakra to her fist, "Let's get that bitch."

/\/\/\/\/\

The battle turned in Konoha's favor thereafter.

Tsunade couldn't quite tell what was going on amid the flying sand and the sea of chattering puppets. She just remembered smashing her chakra-laden fists into wood, again and again and again.

And then finally, when the puppets thinned and only a few Sand shinobi were left standing, they unleashed an enormous jutsu, some sort of a sand wave.

The Konoha shinobi crouched down, shielding themselves from the impact of the jutsu, but the moment the sand sprinkled to the ground, they looked up to find that their opponents had disappeared.

The jutsu had been used as a diversion, so that the last few shinobi could retreat.

Tsunade was secretly relieved. Busting up all of Chiyo's puppets was one thing; but despite her earlier vicious remarks to Orochimaru, she didn't feel comfortable killing a girl her age, a girl who had fought against her honorably during the Chuunin exams years ago, a girl who was doing nothing but serving her duty to her village.

Chiyo had escaped however, along with a few of her companions, and the Konoha shinobi cheered.

Tsunade wiped the sweat from her brow, leaning down to catch her breath.

"So – our first victorious – battle, huh?" Jiraiya landed next to her, dusting particles of sand off of his vest.

Orochimaru landed next to him, flipping black his glossy black hair.

"Hn."

/\/\/\/\/\

When they arrived in the village, Tsunade was surprised to find that she was quite the heroine.

Word had spread about her feats in the battle – the mysterious and deadly poison, and how it had been taking the lives of many shinobi – and how she had single-handedly concocted an antidote for it.

She had always been the princess of Konoha, in a sense, because of her lineage – but this was different.

This was better.

Because now, she was famous solely for her own actions and talents, rather than those of her ancestors.

And the compliments she heard, the praises she was showered with – Tsunade had never been arrogant, but she couldn't help but flush with pride.

Crowds of people – from shinobi to civilians – were talking about her and looking and her and congratulating her.

"That's Tsunade Senju, on of the Hokage's students! She's the one who countered the poison!"

"I heard she healed all the fallen shinobi and smashed the puppets apart with her bare hands?"

"She's supposed to be even a better medic-nin than Mito-sama… the best in the world…"

"It's because of her that we defeated Suna!"

All around, she was being hailed as a hero, the savior of the troops.

"Well, who knew," Jiraiya grinned at her, "Our princess is more famous than ever!"

"World's best medical ninja, so I've been told," Orochimaru added.

"Guys," Tsunade rolled her eyes, though she was flushing and her heart was fluttering happily, "Shut up."

"Oh, the Uchiha are going to _burn_," Jiraiya snickered, "Did you _see _the look on their faces?! One up to Senju, yet again."

Hiruzen had openly expressed his pride in the three of them, and most notably her.

Apparently Suna had equipped all their troops with them, and Tsunade's antidote had really turned around the outcomes of several battles that had been going rather badly for the Konoha shinobi.

"Suna have declared a temporary ceasefire," Hiruzen said, "I don't know how long it will last, but we will have peace, at least for a few months…"

"That's _great_!" Jiraiya said emphatically, nudging Tsunade, "All because of Tsunade-chan here, I'm guessing."

Hiruzen's eyes twinkled under his hat.

"To a certain extent, it would be fair to say that…"

"Nice," Jiraiya grinned at his teammate, "So the village gossip is right. You pretty much ended the war, princess. Congratulations!"

"The war's not over," Hiruzen warned him, "Don't get too excited. This is just a lull period, I'm afraid it's likely the fighting will start again, and things are looking tense with Kumo. If they form an alliance with Suna, things could go badly."

"So, what is expected of us, sensei?" Orochimaru asked.

"Well, right now I'm focusing on keeping the troops ready and sending out envoys to the other villages to try and strengthen our political alliances," Hiruzen said, "But you three just got back from a dangerous and undoubtedly tiring mission."

The lines of his tense face relaxed, and Hiruzen broke into a small smile.

"I think you three can take rest for a bit. Maybe go get some dinner? I'm sure you're starved."

"Yes!" Jiraiya beamed, "Tsunade-chan's treat!"

"I never said that!" Tsunade objected, before sighing, "Oh, alright, the two of you can come too."

"Too?" Jiraiya asked, "Who else is coming?"

Tsunade fingered the crystal necklace hanging around her neck and smiled fondly.

"I promised Nawaki I'd take him and Kushina out to ramen when I came back."

/\/\/\/\/\

_A/N - Whew! These chapters take aaaages to write. Good news is the next one is half-done, though hopefully I'll have the time and inspiration to fully complete it and upload it soon._

_Your reviews are always more than welcome. They're inspiring and they're like rainbows and marshmellows and kittens and sunshine and all that jizz, basically they make my day and inspire me hella lot, so please review!  
_

_Also - since we now know Dan's last name, I have changed it. I'll go back to the earlier chapters and edit it eventually... when I get time...  
_

_Finally, in answer to some of your questions: this will follow canon at the end, so don't expect a happy OroTsu or JirTsu ending. I'm sorry. But it'll get really interesting for the next few chapters, hee hee :D I promise! But yeah, after that... it get's messy. Team Sannin were pretty messy, so that's only natural if I want to stay true to canon.  
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_xoxo  
_

_HighQueen  
_

_P.S - just warning you, I'm probably changing my penname because I'm afraid I have been discovered by someone I really didn't want discovering me. One of these weeks I'm changing it so be on the lookout for that when you get story/author updates, haha. Just saying :) Also, any ideas what I should change it to? I'm so uncreative when it comes to stuff like that!  
_


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